City of Muskegon Addressing Climate Action
2023
In April 2023, the City Commission adopted a resolution declaring its commitment to climate action initiatives and to address the impact of climate change on our community. The city is committed to implementing actions that save money, improve productivity, and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, specifically of city-owned assets and infrastructure. The objective is to reduce the GHG emissions from city-owned buildings, facilities, vehicles, waste and land through deliberative budget, policy, and administrative actions.
In 2023, the city established a Climate Action Workgroup of staff working to address ways to reduce the impact of climate change on city-owned assets and infrastructure.
2024
An organizational-wide Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHG) was developed to set target reductions with the goal of achieving net-zero GHG emissions from municipal operations by 2040.
Results of the inventory were used to manage GHG risks and identify reduction opportunities. The GHG Inventory also informed the development of an organizational-wide Climate Action Plan (CAP). In late 2024, Fresh Coast Climate Solutions began the process of drafting the CAP. The City received approval of a $75,000 Community Energy Management Program grant through EGLE to offset the cost of the contract.
2025
In June 2025, the CAP was completed and adopted by the City Commission. The CAP establishes a roadmap for achieving net zero GHG emissions from municipal operations and positions the city to secure funding and adopt emerging solutions in sustainability.
The intended outcomes of this Climate Action Plan are as follows:
- Reach net zero GHG emissions from municipal operations by 2040
- Leverage funding opportunities to implement climate action initiatives
- Reduce city operational costs through improved efficiency
- Enhance the resilience of city operations and city-owned land
- To strengthen city operations while reducing the environmental impact as an organization.
This CAP’s content is organized into 5 focus areas, 18 objectives, and 97 actions. The CAP’s Focus Areas include – Buildings and Facilities; Transportation; Waste; Land Use & Resilience; Implementation.
The 18 objectives identified within the 5 Focus Areas include:
Buildings & Facilities
- Assess the energy performance of city facilities
- Reduce energy consumption by city facilities
- Reduce water consumption by city facilities
- Maximize renewable energy utilized to power city facilities
Vehicles
- Improve operational efficiency of city vehicle fleet
- Transition fleet vehicles and equipment to the most efficient models
- Enhance Muskegon’s appeal as a place for city employees to live and thrive
Waste
- Reduce landfill waste from city facilities
- Reduce landfill waste from events hosted by the city or at city facilities
Land Use & Resiliency
- Increase carbon sequestration potential of city-owned land
- Improve resiliency of city-owned land
- Integrate climate risk considerations into city land use planning and management
- Improve government operations’ resilience to the impacts of climate change
Implementation
- Leverage funding for CAP actions
- Build city staff capacity for CAP implementation
- Monitor and evaluate progression of CAP implementation
- Integrate CAP priorities into city operations and procurement
- Integrate climate considerations into the development, review, and implementation of all new city plans and policies
Understanding which facilities are the highest contributors to the City’s organizational GHG emissions can inform investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and operational improvements to maximize emissions reductions.
You can find the CAP, the GHG Inventory, updates to the commission and other supporting documents in the box titled Popular Documents.