Halifax Climate Investment, Innovation and Impact Fund Awards Grants to Local Climate Projects
Press Release
Halifax Climate Investment, Innovation and Impact Fund awards grants to local climate projects
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2022 – Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS— The Halifax Climate Investment, Innovation and Impact (HCi3) Fund has awarded grants to local organizations to implement projects that focus on greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and demonstrate a commitment to equity and community benefits.
“The projects we are funding have significant potential to change how we use energy in our buildings, transportation system, and communities,” says Sarah Buckle, Executive Director and Chief Climate Investment Officer of HCi3. “We are excited to support such a diversity of projects and organizations to accelerate the uptake of innovative climate solutions here in Halifax.”
This is the first round of grant funding provided by HCi3. The program provides grants to innovative projects that seek to reduce GHG emissions in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) in support of Halifax’s ambitions climate plan, HalifACT: Acting on Climate Together. The grants, totalling just over $500,000, have been awarded to 11 local projects. Grants are being awarded up to $50,000 available per project and covering up to 80% of total project costs. Details on the grant recipients and their projects can be found at https://www.hci3.ca/grants/.
“Halifax is pleased to be working collaboratively with HCi3 and to see the support of projects and ideas that aim to rapidly drive down greenhouse gas emissions in our region,” says Halifax Mayor Mike Savage. “The projects that are being supported by HCi3 will enable us to progress HalifACT, our climate action plan, in partnership with members of our community.”
“Hope Blooms is thrilled to be receiving funding from the first round of the HCi3 Grant Program,” says Jessie Jollymore, Executive Director of Hope Blooms. “This funding will allow us to install solar panels and shaded seating in our garden and offer education about renewable energy and climate change in our youth programming.”
The Province of Nova Scotia, jointly through the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables and the Department of Environment and Climate Change, provided $100,000 to support more HCi3 climate projects throughout HRM.
“Nova Scotia has set ambitious climate change goals, and these investments support innovative local ideas that will help us achieve them,” says Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables. “We are pleased to be working with HCi3 as the projects they support will have direct impacts in HRM and shared benefits for communities across the province.”
The Government of Canada, through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund, provided $18 million to establish the HCi3 Fund.
“These investments in local projects will unlock so much potential – to build resilient communities, accelerate the path to net-zero and help achieve Canada’s climate goals,” added FCM President Taneen Rudyk.
“Programs like this from the Halifax Climate Investment, Innovation and Impact Fund show how Canadian communities are leading the fight against climate change. By lowering emissions in our cities — through energy efficiency upgrades, electrification, ZEV uptake, the deployment of renewable energy and more — we can lower emissions while building cleaner, more resilient communities,” says the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources.
“Canadian cities are major players in the fight against climate change. The climate action undertaken by municipalities like Halifax is essential to our federal government’s ambitious climate plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. I am glad to see our investment in HCi3, and in LC3 centres across Canada, is supporting climate solutions that will help get us there,” says Andy Fillmore, Member of Parliament for Halifax.
About the Halifax Climate Investment, Innovation and Impact (HCi3) Fund
HCi3 is a not-for-profit organization established as a wholly owned subsidiary of EfficiencyOne, a national leader in the design and delivery of energy efficiency programs and services in Nova Scotia.
Building upon Nova Scotia’s impressive track record in emissions reductions, HCi3 uses a mix of investments and grants to support broader climate change initiatives in the Halifax region to advance carbon reductions at scale, and to contribute to a prosperous green economy.
HCi3 is a member of Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) – a collaboration among seven local LC3 centres and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund. The Government of Canada has invested $183 million in LC3 to support municipal climate action to accelerate climate solutions and carbon emission reductions, and will enable the scaling of local solutions through the sharing of experience and expertise. You can learn more about HCi3 at www.hci3.ca
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For more information, contact:
Janet Tobin
Communication Lead
902-470-3652
jtobin@efficiencyone.com