Calgary, Alberta – March 20, 2019 – The $183 million announced yesterday in the federal budget for Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) is a strategic and visionary investment by Natural Resources Canada under the leadership of Minister Sohi to advance practical solutions to climate change in our cities. Climate impacts are being felt most acutely in cities, where half of Canada’s carbon emissions originate from sources such as buildings and industry.

LC3 is a network of seven local centres supported by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). A local LC3 Centre in Calgary will be operated by Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, in partnership with The City of Calgary, to identify, invest in, and scale up carbon reduction solutions in Calgary.

“This is a strategic and long-term commitment from the Canadian government to local communities in an effort to meet our carbon reduction targets. We look forward to partnering with the City of Calgary and working with a diverse array of local and national stakeholders to deploy and scale urban climate solutions in the city,” said Rod Ruff, Program Director, Alberta Ecotrust.

Modeled on The Atmospheric Fund, the LC3 approach provides the capacity, capital, and risk tolerance necessary to remove barriers to the adoption of new technologies, policies, and financial tools that can reduce urban carbon emissions. LC3’s funding model will be self-sustaining, maximizing the investment announced yesterday. The funds will be invested and fund local programs on a revolving basis – generating ongoing revenues for grants, projects and operations.

“We’re pleased to see this investment in our community,” says Dick Ebersohn, Manager of the City of Calgary’s Climate Program. “Our Climate Resilience Strategy seeks to identify opportunities for carbon reductions and improved energy management, and so this kind of partnership is key to our success.”

An LC3 Centre in Calgary will work with many stakeholders, both inside and outside of the City of Calgary, to accelerate and scale local projects that are in alignment with the City’s Climate Resilience Strategy. Initial projects will focus on deep energy retrofits in the commercial and residential sector, and local deployment of renewable energy. Additionally, the LC3 Centre will work with the City and community partners to ensure low-carbon actions generate valuable local benefits such as public health, good jobs, and improved social equity.  

Quick links

• Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3), @LC3Canada

• Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, @AlbertaEcotrust

• The City of Calgary – Climate Change, @CityofCalgary

 About Alberta Ecotrust Foundation

Alberta Ecotrust fosters collaboration between companies and environmental nonprofits to improve the health of Alberta’s ecosystems. Alberta Ecotrust programs build bridges, support collaborative leadership and invest in high impact organizations and environmental initiatives in our focus areas of water, land use, and climate change.