Low Carbon Economy Challenge

Low Carbon Economy Challenge: Reducing carbon pollution through Canadian ingenuity

The Low Carbon Economy Fund is designed to leverage investments in Canadian projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Fund will create jobs, support healthier communities, and help Canadians save money.

There are two parts to the Low Carbon Economy Fund:

1. The Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund, launched on June 15, 2017, will provide $1.4 billion to provinces and territories that have adopted the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. The Leadership Fund will help signatories to the Framework deliver on their commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Over $500 million will be available for the Low Carbon Economy Challenge. The Challenge will support ambitious projects that can be submitted by all provinces and territories as well as municipalities, Indigenous communities and organizations, businesses, and not-for-profit organizations. Projects will leverage Canadian ingenuity across the country to reduce emissions and generate clean growth.

Low Carbon Economy Challenge

The Low Carbon Economy Challenge will build on the success of the Leadership Fund by supporting a broader range of projects that will contribute to meeting Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction target.

The Challenge is open to a wider range of applicants than the Leadership Fund, including all provinces and territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and organizations, businesses, and not-for-profit organizations. It also targets a wider range of sectors, with the goal of leveraging deployment of clean technologies in support of clean growth.

The Low Carbon Economy Challenge has two streams to allow for broad participation:

1.     Champions: The over-$450-million Champions stream is open to all applicants. Eligible applicants include all provinces and territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and organizations, businesses, and not-for-profit organizations. Projects will be selected primarily based on their ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the lowest cost.

2.     Partnerships: The $50-million Partnerships stream is limited to Indigenous communities and organizations, small and medium-sized businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and small municipalities. The Partnerships stream will help ensure a broad range of Canadians are able to participate in the Challenge.

Completed expressions of interest for the Champions stream are due by May 14, 2018. Applicants are welcome to submit at any time between now and the due date. The Partnerships stream will be open for applications later in 2018. Potential applicants for the Partnerships stream can choose to also submit the same project for the Champions stream.

Expressions of interest will be reviewed, and the applicants with the most promising ideas will be invited to submit a formal proposal. Proposals will undergo a thorough review by Government of Canada officials. Successful projects will be selected based primarily on their ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The evaluation will also consider a project’s potential contribution to clean growth, energy savings, and job creation.

Summary of the Low Carbon Economy Fund

• Leadership Fund: $ 1.4 billion
• Challenge Fund: Over 500$ million
  • Champions: Over $450 million
  • Partnerships: $50 million