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Climate Innovation Fund

Accelerating urban climate solutions in Calgary and Edmonton.

About

Alberta Ecotrust Foundation is a member of Low Carbon Cities Canada. Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) is a partnership between seven local centres and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. LC3 helps city regions to reach their full emissions reduction potential while at the same time unlocking co-benefits for local communities.

Cities are at the leading edge of developing low-carbon solutions and are ready to address the challenges and opportunities of a clean energy future.

By identifying, and investing in promising low carbon projects and working with strategic partners to enable their widespread adoption, LC3 members are driving the adoption of low carbon solutions in Canada’s major cities. 

By advancing action at the local level and sharing what is learned nationally, the LC3 network is an engine of low-carbon innovation for all cities and  communities across Canada. 

We have received $40 million from the Government of Canada to accelerate urban climate solutions in Calgary and Edmonton through our Climate Innovation Fund.

Through our Climate Innovation Fund, we identify, invest in, and scale up solutions, covering a broad range of climate positive interventions. We know that achieving urban emissions reductions is not separate from ensuring an equitable and just future for all Albertans.

So, we strive to solve multiple issues simultaneously and maximize co-benefits for our communities.

We support projects and organizations in alignment with the climate action plans in Calgary and Edmonton by focusing on three key areas:

  • Building Better or Retrofitting Wiser

  • Moving on Mobility

  • Decarbonization & Renewable Energy

  • Overarching or Foundational 

What we offer through the Climate Innovation Fund

  • City skyline on a sunny day

    Climate Innovation Grant Program

    Take your remarkable urban emission reducing project from idea to reality.

  • An aerial view of suburban homes

    Digital Home Energy Labels

    Labelling every home in Calgary and Edmonton with a digital energy score.

  • clean o2 unit

    Carbon Capture for Nonprofits

    Installing small-scale carbon capture and storage units in buildings and social housing owned by Alberta charities and nonprofits.

  • A viewfinder overlooking a mountain valley

    Impact Investing

    Get investment in your project or enterprise that is reducing urban emissions and making our cities centres of innovation and inspiration.

  • Calgary skyline against a yellow sky

    Identifying Retrofit Opportunities in Commercial Buildings

    Identifying and enabling low carbon retrofits for commercial buildings in Calgary or Edmonton.

  • Home Upgrades Program

    Making energy costs more affordable for households experiencing energy poverty in Calgary and Edmonton

Low Carbon Cities Canada Overview

Low Carbon Cities Canada are recipients of federal endowment funds that are matched and invested in ground-breaking projects that contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in urban centres. The network works with civic, business and government partners to lay the foundation for their widespread adoption in a manner that promotes social equity.

Low Carbon Cities Canada is a network of centres in seven of Canada’s largest urban areas (Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver), partnered with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, that collectively serve as a catalyst for the identification, incubation and widespread adoption of low carbon solutions across Canada.  

LC3 acknowledges financial support from the Government of Canada, which has committed $183 million in funding towards establishing the LC3 network, part of a $350 million investment in local GHG reduction efforts through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Green Municipal Fund.

LC3 Mission: To serve as a catalyst for the identification, incubation and widespread adoption of low  carbon solutions in seven city regions across Canada.

LC3 Mandate: Low Carbon Cities Canada are recipients of federal endowment funds that will be matched and invested in ground-breaking projects that contribute to reducing  greenhouse gas emissions in urban centres. The network will work with civic, business and government partners to lay the foundation for their widespread adoption in a  manner that promotes social equity.

Program Elements

  1. 1

    Foundation Initiatives

    We strive to educate, train, build capacity, and develop policy, while convening partnerships and amplifying the work of other climate programming in our communities through our Foundation Initiatives.

  2. 2

    Grant Program

    We fund local climate mitigation projects in Calgary and Edmonton, covering a diverse range of activities, from technology demonstration to collective impact and policy advancement.

  3. 3

    Impact Investment

    Our Impact Investment arm focuses on financing, credit enhancement, and impact investing.

Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) supports cities and communities in reaching their carbon emissions reduction potential. This initiative, implemented in partnership among seven local centres and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), was established through an endowment from the Government of Canada.

FCM logo on a transparent background

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