Sustainability Plans & Reports

What’s the difference between weather and climate? Weather is what we experience every day. Weather tends to be what we remember. Climate refers to the long-term patterns of weather. It’s tougher for us to wrap our head around climate, because we’re better at recalling whether or not we were rained upon last week, or if it snowed last Halloween. But by collecting enough data, over a long enough period of time, we can better understand the climate where we live. And after careful analysis of this data we can make projections. The climate projections here show what Kalamazoo and the Great Lakes’ region will look like in the future.

The CSP is a forward-looking plan that guides decisions at the city- and community-level. It includes actions for everyone – at home, work, school, and within organizations. The overarching vision is a resilient and sustainable Kalamazoo. One that considers the prosperity of current and future Kalamazooans.

The Community Sustainability Plan calls for two baseline greenhouse gas reports to be completed, one on the emissions that result directly from the City's municipal activities, and one of the total emissions produced within the city limits.

The City of Kalamazoo is committed to net-zero for its municipal operations. Here you’ll find the latest greenhouse gas emission numbers for the City of Kalamazoo.

The Michigan Green Communities Challenge is an annual program that serves as a guide to help communities measure their progress towards sustainability. The Challenge includes several categories and each is comprised of several action items. Communities earn points by completing these action items. Participation is free and open to any local government in Michigan. The City of Kalamazoo is currently gold certified.