The City of Muskegon has declared a climate change emergency on the lakeshore, as elected officials have pledged to eliminate the local government’s carbon footprint over the next 17 years.
In a resolution adopted by the Muskegon City Commission this month, the document states that the “human caused climate change emergency physically and economically threatens all of humanity and the natural world,” as Lakeshore officials have pledged to eliminate the city’s carbon dioxide and other damaging emissions by the year 2040.
With multiple projects in the works on Muskegon Lake that cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars, Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson said it is more important than ever to have city wide policy in place that keeps developers environmentally conscious.
“I personally am excited to not only see how we as an organization can reduce our carbon footprint and become more climate mindful, but also how we can implement and modify policy to encourage development that is environmentally friendly and climate mindful as well and otherwise incent these activities,” Johnson said.
It’s a goal that other cities are beginning to adopt, including Muskegon’s neighbor, Montague, who has also made a climate change crisis declaration while offering support to Muskegon in developing its own plan moving forward.
Meanwhile, the City of Grand Rapids has pledged to operate on 100% renewable energy by the year 2025.
