The Green Municipal Fund (GMF), managed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), is celebrating 20 years of financial support for communities across Canada.
“GMF is our federal-municipal partnership at its practical best. GMF is all about unlocking local potential to drive national impact. This is about supporting innovative local solutions that can ultimately be scaled up to help tackle some of this country’s biggest challenges — from climate change to sustainable growth,” said FCM President Bill Karsten.
Launched with a federal endowment in 2000, GMF has funded more than 1,300 projects to improve air, water, and soil quality across Canada. GMF has worked alongside municipal governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and manage the impacts of climate change.
This model’s success led to the federal government’s announcement to double down on GMF in Budget 2019—investing nearly $1 billion in an expanded mission to drive cost-saving energy efficiency and renewable energy in communities across Canada.
“For 20 years, we have invested in projects to help build clean, healthy, and more resilient communities that will withstand the impacts of climate change,” said Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Catherine McKenna. “The COVID-19 health crisis has highlighted the importance of our local communities, and our connection to nature and a clean environment. As we emerge from the acute phase of this crisis, I am looking forward to continuing our work with the FCM that is making a real difference in the lives of Canadians.”
GMF-supported projects have kept 2.6 million tonnes of GHG emissions out of the atmosphere. That’s the equivalent of taking 594,000 cars off the road. And these projects have created approximately 10,000 good jobs for Canadians who have installed energy-efficient heating and cooling systems in community buildings, provided access to clean drinking water, helped reclaim toxic sites and more.
