Archived: Departmental Plan 2018 to 2019, supplementary tables, Environment and Climate Change Canada, chapter 7

Up Front Multi Year

Clayoquot Biosphere Trust

Name of recipient:

Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT)

For more information, please visit the CBT site.

Start date

February 2000

End date

In perpetuity

Link to Program Inventory

Water Quality and Ecosystems Partnerships and Community Eco-Action

Description

Creation of an endowment fund for the CBT, which is the cornerstone of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The CBT will use the income from the endowment fund to support local research, education and training in the Biosphere Reserve region.

Total funding approved

$12 million

Total funding received

$12 million (in 2000)

Planned funding in 2017−18

$0.0

Planned funding in 2018−19

$0.0

Planned funding in 2019−20

$0.0

Summary of annual plans of recipient

During 2018-19, the CBT will focus on the following objectives and deliverables:

• Deliver a range of grants for regional initiatives in the areas of: research and environment; culture and events; community development; and youth and education. The fourth Biosphere Research Award will be offered for research that advances understanding of conservation challenges in the marine and/or terrestrial ecosystems and prioritizes conservation actions.
• Publish the 2018 Vital Signs report, a biennial indicator monitoring snapshot that aligns local data and stories with the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Establish an MOU with all parties committed to the development of a social purpose, mixed-use building to serve as a permanent Biosphere Centre for communities, organizations, and researchers.
• Develop, coordinate and market education programs utilizing the West Coast NEST online hub (westcoastnest.org) in order to diversify the local tourism economy, broaden labour-force skills, and increase the number of youth employed in businesses.
• Continue to build a Local Environmental Observer Network to engage communities and technical experts in using monitoring data to inform environmental management and understand climate change impacts.
• Deliver a range of healing and reconciliation events and workshops with the goal to recognize our unique strengths, shared history, cultural diversity to continue the work of reconciliation within communities, between communities and with the land.

Green Municipal Fund

Name of recipient:

Green Municipal Fund (GMF)

For more information, please visit the GMF site.

Start date

February 2000

End date

No end date

Link to Program Inventory

Clean Growth and Climate Change Mitigation

Description

Between 2000 and 2005, the Government of Canada endowed the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) with $550 million to administer a revolving fund for grants, loans and loan guarantees to encourage investment in municipal environmental projects. Budget 2016 committed an additional top-up of $125 million for the GMF in FY 2017-18. Half of this funding would flow through Environment and Climate Change Canada and half through Natural Resources Canada.

The GMF was established to have a positive impact on the health and the quality of life of Canadians by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving local air, water and soil quality and promoting renewable energy by supporting environmental studies and projects within the municipal sector. Eligible projects may fall into one or more of the following categories: energy, water, waste, sustainable transportation, brownfields, or integrated community projects.

The amount of GMF financing is directly related to the environmental benefits and/or innovation of the projects undertaken. Grant/loan combinations of up to 80% of eligible costs are available for capital projects with exceptional environmental benefits.

As stipulated in the GMF Funding Agreement between the FCM and the Government of Canada, the FCM has created two advisory bodies: the GMF Council and the Peer Review Committee. The GMF Council assists the FCM Board of Directors—the decision-making body for the GMF—with project approval. The 15-member GMF Council includes five federal members: two from Environment and Climate Change Canada, two from Natural Resources Canada and one from Infrastructure Canada. All federal members are appointed by the FCM Board of Directors based on recommendations from the Minister of the Environment.

Environment and Climate Change Canada peer reviewers provide the GMF and federal Council Members with expert environmental science and technology advice to support the evaluation of funding proposals.

Total funding approved

$275,000,000

Total funding received

$275,000,000

Planned funding in 2017−18

$62,500,000

Planned funding in 2018−19

$0.0

Planned funding in 2019−20

$0.0

Summary of annual plans of recipient

GMF’s 2018-2019 Annual Statement of Plans and Objectives (ASPO) is expected to be available in April 2018. The GMF’s 2017-18 ASPO  states the following:

Grants for sustainable community plans, feasibility studies and field tests: After March 31, 2009, the FCM must aim to commit $6 to $8 million in grants for sustainable community plans, feasibility studies and field tests. In fulfillment of this requirement, the FCM is aiming to approve a total of $6 million for plans, feasibility studies and field tests in 2017-18.

Loans and grants for capital projects: The 2017-18 ASPO indicates that the FCM is aiming to approve $50 million in loans for capital projects in all sectors, and $5 million in grants for capital projects in the energy, transportation, waste and water sectors.

Performance measures:

To measure and demonstrate the qualitative, quantitative, short-term and long-term success of the GMF, the planned activities for 2017-18 include the following:

• Long-term impact on municipal sector: Address up to three sustainability focus areas with high potential for long-term impact on the municipal sector through funding and knowledge services.
• Enabling innovation and replication: Support and communicate innovative solutions that achieve exemplary environmental outcomes with the potential for energy, transportation, waste or water sector transformation across Canada.
• Increased access to funding for municipalities and their private sector partners through innovative financing: Investigate employing proven financial mechanisms not currently used by clients, and engage public and private-sector sources of financing to identify opportunities for involvement in GMF-funded projects.
• Sustainable municipal infrastructure investments: Develop integrated GMF funding and knowledge services to support the integration of sustainability objectives into municipal decision-making on infrastructure projects.
• Responding to different client groups: Tailor marketing and outreach processes to respond to the needs of different client groups (e.g., municipalities, municipal corporations, and private-sector partners).
• Value demonstration: Strengthen the program’s performance measurement capacity through standardized methodologies, integrate relevant performance information and benchmarking in program decision-making and reporting, and develop tools and resources tailored to assist municipalities in building evidence-based support for sustainable municipal projects.
• Fund sustainability and risk management: Promoting broad understanding and consistent application across the organization including building awareness and understanding of the Risk Management Framework and ensure that the GMF offer and marketing and communications activities integrate relevant risk and financial sustainability concepts and measures.