Contact:
Jessica Weirauch
Michigan Municipal League
[email protected], 734-669-6311

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 10, 2026

Lansing, Mich. – Sixty-eight local governments across Michigan have been recognized for their sustainability efforts and environmental leadership through their participation in the Michigan Green Communities (MGC) Challenge. This year’s participants included fifty cities, eight townships, eight counties, and two villages. Together, they represent over 5.6 million Michiganders.

“Sustainable communities are built through collaboration, strong partnerships, and—most importantly —local leadership and action,” said Julie Staveland, assistant division director for the Materials Management Division of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). “The communities we are recognizing today are leading by example through their commitment to sustainability and continuous improvement. Their efforts are strengthening community resilience, supporting economic development, and creating healthier environments for both people and the natural world.”

Communities are awarded bronze, silver, gold, or platinum seals of achievement. These certifications reflect their leadership in areas such as energy efficiency, climate resilience, recycling, mobility, and environmental stewardship. For the 2025 challenge, four communities achieved Bronze certification, fifteen achieved Silver certification, forty-seven achieved Gold certification, and two achieved Platinum certification. This year’s challenge retained 88 percent of participants from the prior year and had four new participants.

Platinum certification requires making progress or reaching community goals in at least four areas. The City of Ann Arbor reduced greenhouse gas emissions across the community, including municipal operations; increased the percent of municipal electricity supplied by renewables; and reduced municipal water usage. The City of Grand Rapids increased the percentage of electric vehicles in their municipal fleet and reduced water use in municipal operations.

This year’s sixty-eight participating communities and their certifications were:

Bronze: City of Brighton, City of Ferrysburg, Monroe County, City of Mt. Pleasant

Silver: City of Bay City, City of Charlotte, City of Clawson, City of Fennville, City of Grandville, City of Inkster, City of Kentwood, Village of Mackinaw City, City of Madison Heights, Village of Milford, City of Plymouth, City of River Rouge, Saugatuck Township, City of St. Joseph, City of Warren

Gold: City of Battle Creek, City of Berkley, City of Big Rapids, City of Birmingham, Canton Township, City of Clare, City of Dearborn, Delhi Charter Township, City of Detroit, City of East Grand Rapids, City of East Lansing, City of Eastpointe, City of Ferndale, City of Grandville, City of Grand Haven, City of Grosse Pointe Park, City of Hancock, City of Holland, City of Houghton, Ingham County, Kalamazoo County, City of Kalamazoo, City of Lansing, City of Livonia, Macomb County, City of Marquette, Marquette County, Meridian Charter Township, City of Northville, City of Novi, Oakland County, Orion Charter Township, City of Petoskey, Pittsfield Charter Township, City of Portage, City of Rockford, City of Royal Oak, Township of Scio, City of Southfield, City of Sterling Heights, City of Tecumseh, City of Traverse City, City of Troy, Washtenaw County, Wayne County, West Bloomfield Charter Township, City of Ypsilanti

Platinum: City of Ann Arbor, City of Grand Rapids

“Meaningful progress on sustainability often happens incrementally, and the MGC Challenge provides a platform for Michigan’s communities to celebrate these achievements,” said Danielle Beard, MGC program manager. “We’re humbled at the opportunity to partner with these communities to provide resources and technical assistance. This year maintained our record number of participants from 2024, and we hope to see even more communities celebrating their wins with us next year.”

Michigan Green Communities (MGC) is a free program open to all local governments in the state. MGC provides networking, benchmarking, and technical assistance to guide communities in their work to improve their sustainability efforts and adapt to our changing climate. The program also helps communities to protect infrastructure and improve the quality of life for residents. The goal of this work is to create a more environmentally and economically sustainable future for Michigan.

MGC is supported by EGLE, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan Association of Counties, the Michigan Municipal League, and the Michigan Townships Association. MGC is funded by EGLE and the MEDC with in-kind staffing support from the Michigan Municipal League.

More information about the program is available at migreencommunities.com. Questions regarding the program can be directed to the League’s Danielle Beard, program manager of the League’s Policy Research Labs, at [email protected].

More information about the program is available at www.migreencommunities.com Questions regarding the program can be directed to the League’s Danielle Beard, Program Coordinator of Michigan Green Communities, at [email protected]. For media inquiries, contact the League’s Jessica Weirauch, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 734-669-6311 and [email protected]