GMF helps municipalities adopt low- and zero-emission approaches through a unique mix of funding and training across five key municipal sectors:
- energy — technologies and practices that improve energy efficiency and produce cleaner energy
- transportation — greener modes of transportation
- waste — innovative waste-management solutions and reduction, recovery and recycling of solid waste
- land use — revitalizing contaminated land so it can be returned to productive use
- water — cleaner and more efficient community water systems
Initiatives
Reflecting our commitment to our five key sectors, GMF offers the following priority initiatives:
Community Buildings Retrofit
Enabling municipalities to drive energy and cost savings through retrofits to aging community buildings such as arenas, pools and recreation centres
Community Efficiency Financing
Canada’s only national initiative providing communities with innovative financing solutions for home-energy upgrades
Core
Supporting innovative projects across all five of our sectors (energy, transportation, waste, land use and water)
Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3)
Working with governments, the private sector and climate leaders to turn local climate action into nation-wide solutions
Sustainable Affordable Housing
Canada’s only national initiative enabling deep energy retrofits and net-zero new builds of social and affordable housing
Capacity building
GMF’s climate action training is tailored to the needs of Canadian municipalities. Each year, we engage thousands of municipal staff and elected officials in training sessions, cohort meetings, case studies, roadmaps, guidebooks and the Sustainable Communities Conference, Canada’s premier sustainability conference.
Funding
GMF funding covers projects at all stages, from plans and studies to pilot projects and capital projects.
GMF support is available to local governments across Canada and their project partners, including private-sector entities, non-profit organizations and Indigenous community partners. Funding can cover 50 to 80 percent of eligible project costs. It can also be applied toward grants for planning, studies and pilot projects. A combination of grants and loans can propel projects at the capital stage forward.