Minister Guilbeault announces $187 million to support projects in Quebec for clean air and a strong economy

MONTRÉAL, May 10, 2023 /CNW/ - Canadians are calling for ambitious climate action that keeps the air clean while building a strong economy for today and tomorrow alike. Every day, initiatives such as the Government of Canada's Low Carbon Economy Fund support partners across the country as they cut pollution, build strong, resilient communities, and create good jobs in a growing, sustainable, and clean economy.

Today, while speaking at the Montréal Climate Summit, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced up to $187 million from the Leadership stream part of the Low Carbon Economy Fund to support Quebec projects. These funds will be delivered by the Government of Quebec through new partnership agreements.

The funding will be divided into two parts: 

• Up to $60 million to help low-income households in the province move away from home heating oil to more efficient and affordable options for their energy needs.
• Up to $127 million to support initiatives that result in greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030 and align with Canada's and Quebec's goals for net-zero emissions by 2050.

These actions will build on $261 million in federal funding that has been leveraged by the Government of Quebec since 2017 through four programs, resulting in up to 825,000 tonnes of annual greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 2030, which is the equivalent of taking 252,750 cars off Quebec roads each year. 

The Low Carbon Economy Fund has supported projects that range from replacing oil-fired boilers with electric models at a YMCA in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; to waste emissions reduction projects in Alberta; to SaskPower's Northern First Nations Home Retrofit Program in Saskatchewan; and home heat-pump retrofits in Atlantic Canada. The Low Carbon Economy Fund is funding innovative technologies in sectors such as chemicals and fertilizers, cement and concrete, forestry and agriculture, and electricity and manufacturing.

Continued investments in climate action, such as those announced today, reaffirm the Government of Canada's commitment to delivering a clean, healthy environment while building a strong economy for generations to come.

Quotes

"Local climate leaders need support to go faster and further in cutting emissions, becoming more energy efficient, and creating good jobs and strong local economies. The Low Carbon Economy Fund delivers—and will continue to do so through enhanced funding that is an important feature of Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan. I applaud the leadership shown by the Government of Quebec in helping to keep our air clean and build resilient communities."

– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick facts

• Canada launched the Emissions Reduction Plan in 2022, laying out steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The plan provides renewed and enhanced funding for the Low Carbon Economy Fund, including a Leadership stream that will continue to support climate action taken by provinces and territories, with a focus on deploying proven, low-carbon technologies.
• The Government of Canada allocated funding for the enhanced Low Carbon Economy Fund in Budget 2022.
• The enhanced Low Carbon Economy Fund will also support climate action by Indigenous peoples with a new $180 million Indigenous Leadership Fund by investing in clean energy and energy efficiency projects led by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities and organizations.

Associated links

• Low Carbon Economy Fund
  
• 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan—Canada's Next Steps for Clean Air and a Strong Economy
• Budget 2022—A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable

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SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada

Kaitlin Power, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-230-1557, [email protected]; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free), [email protected]