New Climate Action Fund open for applications

OTTAWA, Aug. 15, 2018 /CNW/ - Canadians are working together to ensure that our children and grandchildren will have cleaner air, a healthier environment, and a stronger economy.

Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, and the President and CEO of Ingenium, Christina Tessier, were at the Canadian Heritage Plaza Bridge to launch the Climate Action Fund. The Fund will support projects that raise awareness of climate change and clean growth and that encourage others to take action in support of Canada's climate goals.

The Fund will provide up to $3 million to support projects driven by, or in support of, students, youth, Indigenous Peoples and organizations, not-for-profit organizations, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Climate Action Fund will strive to ensure that

• Canadians are more aware of actions to address climate change;
• Youth, students, and Indigenous Peoples and organizations are engaged on clean growth and climate change initiatives; and
• Communities are better able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and are more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

The Climate Action Fund supports the key objectives of Canada's national clean growth and climate action plan to make investments in climate solutions.

Last year, a pilot program, which has now become the Climate Action Fund, supported the following initiatives, among others:

• The Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council received funding to hold a major conference to educate youth on climate change and empower them to further their education in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields.
• The Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters—an industry and trade association—received funding to support small and medium-sized businesses reduce their energy use and save money.
• Vancouver-based Climate Smart produced an assessment of best practices in reducing emissions from small and medium-sized businesses.

This year, submissions for the 2018-19 intake period are due on September 21, 2018, and funding decisions will be made in mid-autumn.

Quotes

"The Climate Action Fund will help youth and students, Indigenous Peoples, and small and medium-sized businesses protect our environment and strengthen our economy. I'm looking forward to seeing good project ideas be submitted from across the country."

– Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick Facts

• The Climate Action Fund was piloted in 2017-18. As a result of this pilot project, 15 initiatives were funded, including climate change workshops for Indigenous youth, a report on best practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the small and medium-sized enterprise sector, and a series of information-sharing sessions on climate change initiatives for Canadian businesses.

Associated Links

• Climate Action Fund
• Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page

Environment and Natural Resources in Canada's Facebook page

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada

Caroline Thériault, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 613-462-5473, [email protected]; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free), [email protected]