Ontario Launches the Green Ontario Fund to Help People Save Money and Fight Climate Change

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Continuous diesel-fired electricity generation in Ontario’s remote First Nation communities emits an estimated 65 kilotonnes of greenhouse gases annually at current generation levels.

In just 10 years, Ontario has become a North American leader in the development, use and manufacturing of clean energy.

A Canada 2020 poll shows that 84 per cent of Canadians believe that prosperous countries such as Canada have an obligation to show international leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In May 2015, Ontario became the first province in Canada to set a mid-term greenhouse gas pollution reduction target of 37 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030.

Ontario continues to put its new Climate Change Strategy into action by investing $13 million in two initiatives to help Indigenous communities address climate change and support economic growth.

The province is providing $5 million from the Green Investment Fund to the Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources, in partnership with the Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation. This investment will help provide Indigenous communities with training, tools and infrastructure to address climate change by:

Developing climate change adaptation plans.

Building technical capacity so Indigenous communities are able to take advantage of economic opportunities from Ontario’s proposed cap and trade program.

Creating a Northern Ontario climate change impact study using data from the adaptation plans.

Ontario is also committing $8 million to develop advanced microgrid solutions in First Nations communities. These microgrid projects will support economic growth by reducing reliance on diesel fuel and enabling stable, predictable sources of power.

A shift to microgrids from diesel fuel is also vital to the fight against climate change and achieving Ontario’s greenhouse gas pollution reduction target of 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.

Ontario’s new Green Investment Fund is a $325 million down payment on the province’s cap and trade program to strengthen the economy, create jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These investments will help secure a healthy, clean and prosperous low-carbon future and transform the way we live, move, work and adapt to our environment while ensuring strong, sustainable communities.

Partnering with Indigenous communities to address climate change is part of the government’s plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes investing in talent and skills, including helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history and investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.