At a time when climate action is actively being reversed at the federal level—including the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, promotion of fossil fuels, and the dismantling of regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency, to name a few—the focus is back on local climate action. In Ann Arbor, the charge is being led by Missy Stults (PhD ’16) through the Office of Sustainability and Innovations (OSI) and A2ZERO, the city’s community-wide, equitable and ambitious plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. 

“There’s no better place to make an impact on the future—helping to shape the future world you want—than diving in at the local level. At least in my perspective,” says Stults, director of OSI.

Launched in 2018, the OSI is ensuring that climate action continues to move forward even without federal support, which, Stults explains, is how it all began anyway. 

“The reality of the work still progressing is a reflection of local governments being the frontlines of climate impacts and climate action. Local units of government have always led on climate change, and we’ll continue to do so—for a bevy of reasons—including the fact that we are the ones that experience the direct impacts of climate inaction,” she says.

Growing demand for sustainability professionals and skills

If it seemed that the environmental sustainability job sector was slowing down at all due to federal-level actions and layoffs, that’s not what LinkedIn’s 2025 Green Skills Report found. In fact, hiring is outpacing skilling, showing a need to accelerate green skills development to meet demand. Another notable finding is that those with sustainability knowledge are increasingly needed across a wide range of job titles, and they are more likely to secure a job.

Stults, an alum of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, having received her PhD focused on urban resilience from the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, says that sometimes, she gets lucky and doesn’t have to look far to find talent for OSI. Four in OSI are SEAS graduates, working alongside several other U-M alums. 

“The University of Michigan is a world-class institution that nurtures world-class talent. When we were looking to grow the Office of Sustainability and Innovations, it was a gift to be able to look in our own backyard to the graduates from programs like SEAS, Taubman, Ford, Engineering and more!” says Stults. 

Voices from the field: SEAS alumni at the Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations

One of the SEAS alums on the OSI team, Bryce Frohlich (MS ’22), says he was “attracted to local government because of the creativity and innovation I observed happening at the local level.” He explains that working at the local level has given him opportunities to use the skills he learned at SEAS.

Frohlich suggests that students interested in working in local government should not only expand their foundational knowledge of sustainability and climate during their time at SEAS, but also seek out opportunities that enhance their skill set and knowledge base. 

“Working in the climate field has introduced me to a network of colleagues and collaborators who are doing transformative work with a mindful approach,” says Frohlich. “This inspires me and motivates me to be a better public servant, for which I am forever grateful. I believe working in climate offers the chance to address and influence many different aspects of people's lives and to improve their quality of life across a holistic spectrum. Working in climate also opens your imagination to the possibilities of what positive climate futures can look like, and that adds fuel to the fire. Don't get me wrong; this work can be messy and definitely has its challenges and hard days, but the highs are high.”

Simi Barr (MS ’20) says that “SEAS provided a great foundation of sustainability knowledge, as well as how to navigate complex systems to implement solutions where most effective, and how to communicate ideas to diverse groups of stakeholders,” all of which are benefiting his work at OSI, where he can see the direct impacts of his work.

And Jordan Larson (MS ‘22) says he was not specifically focused on local action during his time at SEAS, but there were multiple reasons he was drawn to local government. “As someone who is focused on engagement, education, communication and community building, I knew I wanted my work to be place-based, which local government allows for more of, and the option to live within the community you are serving. For me, that really matters.”

He adds, “Local government sits at a unique and exciting intersection of scale and impact. I believe anyone who is working in a career under the broad umbrella of ‘sustainability’ is motivated by a desire to make the world a better place and feel their work has a positive impact.”

Larson has some general career advice for SEAS students, encouraging them to get to know their professors, use opportunities to improve writing and public speaking skills, seek mentorship, develop connections, and get involved in their community. 

“Assume you always have more to learn, and listen to those who can teach you. Get involved in projects connected to local sustainability offices. Look for opportunities to join local commissions, task forces, and/or groups that provide guidance to city councils. Get more civically engaged by learning more about your local government and/or volunteering to support an election. Read and study cities’ climate and sustainability action plans and comprehensive plans. Focus on gaining a solid technical knowledge based on any or all of the following: carbon accounting, building/home decarbonization, renewable social resilience and adaptation, solid waste/composting/circular economy, transportation, stormwater, GIS, and behavior change and communication.”

The path forward: Continuing to fight the climate crisis

The OSI team’s December 2025 report shares the progress the city is making in many of its projects through strategies that include powering the electrical grid with 100% renewable energy, switching appliances from gas to electric, improving the energy efficiency of buildings, and using, reusing, and disposing of materials more circularly, to name a few. 

Stults says that, while yes, things have gotten more complicated in some ways and more challenging, the work must continue. 

“The climate crisis is real, it’s visceral, and we are all living through it. Today’s graduates have literally never lived in a world not plagued with climate change,” says Stults. “Wanting to be part of the solution is essential, and we need bright minds, passionate hearts and willing hands to get to work to usher in the solutions and change we so desperately need.”