Our purpose

GMF exists to enhance the quality of life for people in Canada by accelerating a transformation to sustainable and resilient communities. It does this by providing grants, loans, innovative financing, leveraged investments, capacity building, and strategic support.

Our vision

The GMF vision is that Canadian municipalities lead the way to achieving Canada’s sustainability targets. GMF aims to be the go-to resource and partner for municipalities in Canada that are accelerating their transformation to sustainable, resilient communities. GMF drives municipal progress using solutions that address wider outcomes across subsectors. It is committed to the principles of anti-racism, equity, inclusion, and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Ultimate goals

To achieve its vision, GMF has set “ultimate goals” for the next 10 years:

  1. Municipalities can access innovative, technically, and economically viable solutions to their climate mitigation, adaptation, and sustainability challenges.
  2. Municipalities have climate change mitigation and adaptation plans, and they and their partners have the capacity, knowledge, decision-making tools, and support to scale up the implementation of sustainable, resilient, net-zero solutions.
  3. Municipalities can access the capital they need to invest in or fund sustainable, resilient, net-zero solutions.
  4. GMF has the means, resources, and partner support to lead the transition to sustainable, resilient, net-zero Canadian communities.

Sub-sector strategies for change

To achieve our vision, GMF has set “ultimate goals” for the next 10 years:

Energy

All buildings achieve net-zero status and are resilient in the face of a changing climate. Innovative financing mechanisms, fuel switching, energy efficiency, and renewable energy production have accelerated net-zero new builds and retrofits to provide people with healthy, safe, and affordable spaces. Buildings are connected to resilient, net-zero energy supply systems for their thermal and electrical needs, mitigate their impact on supply systems, and even support these energy supply systems.

Transportation

Municipalities achieve net-zero transportation emissions by prioritizing demand management, affordable and accessible transit, and active transportation. Zero-emission vehicles enable the remaining movement of goods, services, and people. Transportation investments incorporate adaptive actions to ensure infrastructure and equipment resilience.

Land Use

Local governments foster the development of resilient, net-zero, inclusive, and complete communities. They prioritize compact growth that supports sustainable mobility, provides diverse housing and amenities, reduces infrastructure and service costs, enables improvements in community energy use, and uses previously developed land whenever possible. Local governments also protect and deploy natural assets to capture carbon, increase biodiversity, and enhance liveability and climate resilience.

Circular economy

In a circular, net-zero economy, municipalities deploy strategies and incentives to ensure that products and materials stay in use in the community at their highest possible value and are managed as resources. This helps eliminate waste and pollution. Resource management infrastructure and systems — such as collection, recovery centres, and existing landfills — are resilient and optimized to reduce GHG emissions and restore nature.

Water

In a circular, net-zero economy, all water is preserved and managed to maintain water quality and accessibility while minimizing the energy and material input needed for supply and use. Municipal water systems and infrastructure support community resiliency, and returned water supports natural systems’ regeneration.

Since GMF’s inception, we’ve achieved:

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2,336

sustainability projects approved

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$1.6 billion

worth of approved sustainability projects

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2.9 million

tonnes of greenhouse gases avoided

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990,000

gigajoules of energy savings per year

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282 million

m³ of water treated per year

Our funding

As an independent endowment with a 25-year history, our goal is to ensure Canadian communities of all sizes—rural and urban, big and small—have access to funding that lets them make long-lasting investments in local projects that drive economic growth, preserve our natural environment, and make life better for residents.  

We provide Canadian municipalities with access to much needed capital through grants and loans—making climate-smart infrastructure, sustainable housing and community resilience affordable and achievable for all communities.  

GMF funding covers projects at all stages, from plans and studies, to pilot projects, to capital projects. We reduce the financial burden on municipalities, making local tax dollars go further. We enable upgrades to local infrastructure, scaling-up for growth, or safeguarding against climate change by covering up to 80% of eligible project costs.  

View all funding opportunities

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Capacity-building

GMF’s  free training, hands-on workshops and easy-to-use resources are tailored to the needs of Canadian municipalities. Each year, we engage thousands of municipal staff and elected officials in webinars, training sessions, and peer-to-peer learning to help communities plan and execute their projects.

Connecting municipalities through partnerships and networks, such as the Canadian Circular Cities and Regions Initiative, and the Sustainable Communities Conference, we build strong partnerships and communities of practice so municipalities big and small can move forward together, learning from each other’s successes and challenges. Start your journey and develop solutions that work best for their goals and deliver results for your residents.  

Visit the Learning Centre

Our experts provide free training, hands-on workshops and easy-to-use resources to help communities plan and execute their projects. We're here to help with the right tools, practical knowledge and tailored resources to help you make informed decisions and get the job done.

We go further when we learn together

Hear from municipal leaders who have benefitted from Capacity Building at the Green Municipal Fund. Discover how municipalities across the country are taking bold action toward a more sustainable future—and how GMF resources help them replicate proven solutions.

Resources, videos and guides

Access practical, hands-on tools, resources and knowledge products to help you address your municipality’s unique needs and challenges.

View all resources, videos and guides

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Events, webinars and online training

Register for events, webinars, and online training to help you adopt sustainability and climate solutions, accelerate projects and improve staff capacity.

View upcoming events, webinars and online training

GMF Project Database

Search our GMF project database to learn project details, explore lessons learned, and be inspired by completed GMF-funded projects.

Search the GMF Project Database

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Advisory and coaching services

Receive personalized support tailored to your local context to help advance your own sustainable projects.

Regional Energy Coaches 

Community Buildings Retrofit Advisory Services

Adaptation in Action coaching

Featured resources

Factsheet: Urban forest planning

How to plan for long-term success

Read more

Guides: Equity and non-energy benefits of community building retrofits

Explore how retrofits can build more equitable and resilient municipalities.

Read more

Guide: Taking your indoor ice rink to net zero

Learn how to develop an actionable roadmap to net zero ice rinks

Read more

Environmental impact

Environmental targets are still the main pillar in GMF’s triple-bottom-line approach to all our funding initiatives. In the past two decades, we’ve made significant impacts in all our target sectors:

GHG reductions

2.87

million tonnes of GHG emissions avoided

Energy savings

895,893

GJ of energy

Wastewater and drinking water treated

280,478,907

cubic metres of water treated per year

Water saved

653,136

cubic metres of water saved per year

Waste diverted from landfill

224,217

tonnes

Media managed

191,768

cubic metres of media (soil, groundwater and sediment) managed

Land reclaimed

94

hectares of land reclaimed

Solid waste treated

34,675

cubic metres

Equivalent to taking 880,547 cars off the road for a year or planting 3.37 million acres of boreal forest.

Equivalent to the average annual energy consumption for 166 arenas.

Equivalent to 27.5 hours of water volume going over Niagara Falls during peak daytime hours.

Equivalent to the annual amount of potable water consumed by 7,124 average people.

Equivalent to 20,269 full-sized school buses.

Equivalent to 4,900 shipping containers.

Equivalent to 158 football fields.

15 Olympic-size swimming pools

Social impact

GMF’s offerings benefit entire communities, including vulnerable populations. Social benefits like increased access to affordable housing, strengthened community programs and improved public health help communities to thrive.

Here are some of the ways GMF-funded projects have helped build stronger communities:

Community centres, cultural centres and libraries
  • 19 capital projects
  • $55,482,578 invested
  • Social benefits reported:
    • Improves quality of life

    • Strengthens community ties

    • Supports cultural vitality

    • Preserves heritage

    • Supports educational activities

    • Provides local employment and volunteer positions

Recreation centres, pools and ice rinks
  • 14 capital projects
  • $49,638,566 invested
  • Social benefits reported:
    • Promotes public health through physical activity
    • Improves local quality of life
    • Promotes economic growth through events and visitors
Affordable housing (new builds and retrofits of existing units)
  • 5 capital projects
  • $12,526,955 invested
  • Social benefits reported:
    • Creates welcoming places to live, work and start a business

    • Helps in addressing poverty

    • Provides security and comfort for vulnerable populations

    • Retains workers and attraction of newcomers

    • Enriches neighbourhoods and drives economic growth

Active transportation (pathways for cyclists and pedestrians)
  • 3 capital projects
  • $12,600,000 invested
  • Social benefits reported:
    • Improves public health through physical activity

    • Improves public safety

    • Boosts community pride

Economic Impact

Building sustainable communities is good for the economy. From creating local jobs to driving operational efficiencies that help municipalities stretch tax dollars, the return on GMF investments has always been unmatched.

Using the Local Economic Development (LED) model, we’ve calculated the economic impact of our investments in plans, studies, pilots and capital projects:

  • $1.2 billion contributed to national GDP
  • 12,622 person-years of employment
  • $665 million of national wages and salaries paid to households

Find out more about GMF’s impact in our Annual Report

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