Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3)

Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3)

Throughout 2023-24, the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) network continued to advance climate action through a robust network of over 100 community leaders, deepening commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion, alongside Reconciliation. The network allocated $2,590,785 through 63 grants, primarily targeting emission reductions in buildings and transportation. LC3’s community-focused granting approach has attracted a diverse group of collaborators, including construction professionals, social housing providers, and investors, all dedicated to launching innovative low-carbon solutions and addressing urgent community issues like housing affordability and youth engagement

LC3’s collaborative ethos drew 49 partners across the network to co-deliver retrofit acceleration projects. Similarly, national peer-to-peer exchanges among local programs facilitated the rapid dissemination of best practices, demonstrated by the launch of initiatives like the Emissions-Neutral Buildings Information Exchange.

On the municipal front, LC3 Centres are making significant strides. For instance, the Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC) in Vancouver is leveraging local expertise to push forward municipal zero emissions building targets and policies. Calgary and Edmonton’s Climate Innovation Fund (CIF) took on the Secretariat role on Calgary’s Climate Panel. Meanwhile, the Toronto Atmospheric Fund’s (TAF) Dan Leckie Forum brought together municipal staff and stakeholders to discuss building performance standards in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. The Ottawa Climate Action Fund (OCAF) partnered with the City of Ottawa on public communication campaigns. Other centres, like the Greater Montreal Climate Fund (GMCF), are innovating in energy management and community engagement through their participation in the Economic Development Corporation of Ville Saint Laurent’s initiative to help create an energy loop between factories and private offices in the district’s central corridor. And the Halifax Climate Investment Innovation and Impact Fund (HCi3) collaborated locally to design and deliver public sessions engaging grassroots communities in climate work.

Nationally, LC3’s collaboration with GMF has produced strategic initiatives like a new report advising on electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure for multifamily housing and a joint $1 million investment in Kite Mobility to enhance EV accessibility. This year also marked the introduction of an “equity rubric,” co-designed by LC3 members to ensure that equity principles are considered for decision-making in grant allocation and program development.  Of 63 grants provided in this period, 40 were scored as having very good or excellent potential to advance equity. In addition, these projects were poised to contribute to LC3’s multi-solving approach, highlighting the potential for key community benefits such as improving community resilience, economic development, and mobility access.

How we build capacity: Delivering place-based approaches with a pan-Canadian perspective

The LC3 Centres and GMF combined forces—and funding—to develop a unique new report providing practical advice for municipalities, provinces, utilities and other stakeholders to ensure that electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is provided for the increasing number of city dwellers who live in multifamily housing. 

This partnership also extended to impact investing, with 2023 marking LC3’s first experience with a joint investment of $1M in Kite Mobility. Both collaborations aim to accelerate the uptake of EVs and essential charging infrastructure in ways that ensure the benefits of electric mobility are accessible to all Canadians. 

Similarly, the assessment of all LC3 initiatives through the equity rubric fostered learning and focused attention on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI)—helping to further embed EDI into our organizational DNA. Supported activities were wide-ranging, from exploring the relationship between energy inefficiency and housing precarity with tenant rights organizations, to ensuring equitable access to EV charging infrastructure, to enhancing active transportation support for Mi’kmaw First Nations people and African Nova Scotians. 

By working together, LC3 Network members are learning that access to unique, place-based approaches and intelligence, in combination with a pan-Canadian perspective, is a powerful way to generate useful insights and build our own collective skillsets.