Archived: Report on Plans and Priorities 2015-16, supplementary tables, Environment and Climate Change Canada, chapter 6

Up-Front Multi-Year Funding

• Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT)
• Green Municipal Fund (GMF)

Clayoquot Biosphere Trust

Strategic Outcome: Canada’s natural environment is conserved and restored for present and future generations

Link to department’s Program Alignment Architecture

• Program 1.3 Sustainable Ecosystems
  • Sub-Program 1.3.3 Community Engagement

Name of recipient: Clayoquot Biosphere Trust

For more information, please visit the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust site.

Start date: February 2000

End date: In perpetuity

Description: Creation of an endowment fund for the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (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 2015−16: $0.0

Planned funding in 2016−17: $0.0

Planned funding in 2017−18: $0.0

Summary of annual plans of recipient: During 2015-16, the CBT will focus on the following objectives and deliverables:

• Deliver a $60,000 call for projects to offer support to innovative, regional initiatives.
• Create a proactive research plan for the Biosphere Reserve region.
• Maintain the CBT/Genus Scholarship Program and develop an additional education program to support increased student success.
• Convene community meetings to discuss priority issues identified in the 2014 Vital Signs report.
• Conduct a feasibility study of Biosphere Centre scenarios.
• Continue to engage and support youth to be involved in all levels of activities.

Green Municipal Fund (GMF)

Strategic Outcome: Threats to Canadians and their environment from pollution are minimized

Link to department’s Program Alignment Architecture

• Program 3.2 Climate Change and Clean Air
  • Sub-Program 3.2.3 Environmental Technology

Name of recipient: Green Municipal Fund (GMF)

For more information, please visit the GMF site.

Start date: February 2000

End date: In perpetuity

Description: The Green Municipal Fund (GMF) is a $550 million revolving fund administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) that supports grants, loans and loan guarantees to encourage investment in municipal environmental projects. The Government of Canada endowed the FCM with a total of $550 million for this initiative through a series of budget decisions from 2000 to 2005.

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 $150 million is to be used exclusively to support brownfield remediation and redevelopment.

The amount of GMF financing available to municipalities is directly related to the environmental benefits and/or innovation of the projects undertaken, with grant/loan combinations of up to 80% of eligible costs 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’s role is to assist the FCM Board of Directors - the decision-making body for the GMF - in approving projects proposed by municipalities. The 15-member GMF Council includes five federal members: two from Environment 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 Canada peer reviewers provide the GMF and federal Council Members with expert environmental science and technology advice and they evaluate funding proposals.

Total funding approved: $275,000,000

Total funding received: $275,000,000

Planned funding in 2015−16: $0

Planned funding in 2016−17: $0

Planned funding in 2017−18: $0

Summary of annual plans of recipient: The GMF’s Annual Statement of Plans and Objectives (ASPO) for 2015-16 is not yet available. The GMF’s most recent ASPO states that the Expected Results for fiscal year 2014-15 include 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 2014-15.

Loans and grants for capital projects: The FCM offers a combination of grants and low-interest loans in support of capital projects. Grants are only offered in combination with loans. Under the Funding Agreement, the FCM must aim to commit $50 to $70 million per year in loans. Up to March 31, 2009, the FCM may commit $7 to $10 million per year in grants to capital projects, and $5 to $6 million thereafter. The 2014-15 ASPO indicates that the FCM is aiming to approve $60 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 2014-15 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.
• 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 investment: 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.

Note: For more information on the plans and objectives of the GMF for fiscal year 2014-15, refer to the Green Municipal Fund Annual Statement of Plans and Objectives 2014-2015.