2018 – Funding for the Green Municipal Fund

Official title: Multi-year funding to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) for the Green Municipal Fund (GMF)

Canada’s public infrastructure includes a broad range of assets and the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) funding criteria aims to continue to fund these assets. Investments in public infrastructure contribute to long-term and green economic growth, more inclusive prosperous communities, and support environmental sustainability. As part of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada’s Investing in Canada Plan, GMF supports public infrastructure investments.

The GMF was established to have a positive impact on the health and quality of life of Canadians by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improving local air, water and soil quality and promoting renewable energy. It will continue to support the Government of Canada’s priority of green infrastructure spending for Canadians. The GMF helps Canadian municipalities advance knowledge, development, and implementation of environmentally innovative projects.  

The GMF, since its inception, includes a commitment to provide $777 million to support 1,141 environmental initiatives in communities across Canada. Of the initiatives funded to date, 194 have been capital projects. Capital projects involve the retrofitting, construction, replacement, expansion, or purchase and installation of fixed assets or infrastructure.

Of the 194 capital projects that have received funding to date, 139 have been completed and have reported the following results:

• GHG emissions reduced by 378,000 tonnes per year
• 77 hectares of previously contaminated land made available for use
• air contaminant emissions reduced by more than 453,000 kilograms per year
• the quality of more than 69,000 cubic metres of soil improved
• 242,000 cubic metres of wastewater treated per year
• 170,000 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill per year
• water consumption reduced by almost 309,000 cubic metres per year

GMF funding is delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). Municipalities and other eligible recipients hold responsibility for project management decisions and project construction. Eligible projects may fall into one or more of the following categories: energy, water, waste, sustainable transportation, and brownfields. Individual projects supported by the GMF are required to comply with federal, provincial, and territorial regulations.

The GMF program provides support for public infrastructure investments that could have a positive impact on the environment. It also provides:

• support for green infrastructure to improve positive environmental outcomes; for example, clean drinking water, improved solid waste and wastewater management, reduced GHG emissions, and reduced air contaminants
• support for public transit to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution
• support for asset management and feasibility studies to support better planning and longer-term environmental impact considerations for provinces, territories, municipalities, and Indigenous communities

The GMF will contribute to the following goals set out in the 2016 to 2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) goals and targets:

• Effective action on climate change: Reduce greenhouse gas emission levels to mitigate the severity and unavoidable impacts of climate change
• Clean growth and safe and healthy communities: Minimize the threats to air quality so that the air Canadians breathe is clean and supports healthy ecosystems

Annually, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) consults the GMF Annual Report, which documents the environmental benefits of GMF projects.