Canada Invests in Cleaner Cities

TORONTO, June 27, 2019 /CNW/ - Canada is building a clean energy future that creates jobs, reduces costs for families and ensures that we remain a destination of choice for international investment.

Minister of Democratic Institutions, the Honourable Karina Gould, and Member of Parliament for Spadina-Fort York, Adam Vaughan, on behalf of Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, today announced a $40-million investment for The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) to create Canada's first climate centre in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).

TAF will operate one of seven new Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) urban climate centres across Canada helping to bridge the commercialization gap and reduce the business risk of developing tomorrow's low-carbon technologies and innovations.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Green Municipal Fund^TM will serve as the national office centre for the LC3. Announced in Budget 2019, LC3 is part of the Canada's $1.01-billion plan to make communities more energy-efficient. It will use federal investments to work with private investors, public agencies, utilities, non-profit organizations and other levels of government to build long-term, low-carbon solutions.

This investment will create a network across Canada that supports local community action to improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions.

Canada's energy efficiency sector supported 436,000 jobs in 2018, and this number is expected to grow by 8.3 percent this year alone. Investments like these are helping this sector grow faster, creating a better future for Canadians.

Through Generation Energy, Canada's national energy dialogue, Canadians expressed that they want Canada to continue to be a leader in the transition to a clean growth economy. The Government of Canada will also continue to support smarter energy initiatives that create a clean, sustainable, competitive energy sector that cuts pollution and acts on climate change.

Quotes

"The Government of Canada is proud to invest in low-carbon solutions in our cities, particularly through an initiative that will generate prosperity and unlock many social, financial and environmental benefits across the country." 

Karina Gould
Minister of Democratic Institutions

"The LC3 centre in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is a great example of what we can accomplish when working together. The Government of Canada is proud to be working with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and The Atmospheric Fund to build tomorrow's thriving, livable cities and communities that are also inclusive and sustainable."

Adam Vaughan
Member of Parliament for Spadina-Fort York

"Action in cities is key to fighting climate change. This visionary investment by the federal government significantly increases TAF's capacity to accelerate low-carbon solutions in the GTHA in a way that also builds resilience, creates jobs and improves public health. And it's a sustainable model, which will attract additional endowment capital and local investment."

Julia Langer
CEO, The Atmospheric Fund

"We already see our cities leading the way on low-carbon innovation, and this investment will unlock so much potential to go further — to build cost-saving energy solutions that build better lives for Canadians."

Bill Karsten
President, Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Associated Links

Canada's Energy Future 
Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3)
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
The Atmospheric Fund

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

For further information: Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6100, [e-mail]; Vanessa Adams, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, 343-543-7645, [e-mail]

Related Links

www.nrcan.gc.ca