Canadian Government Allocates Funding to Improve Energy Efficiency and Reduce Carbon Emissions

By John Boling

On May 29, 2023, Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s minister of natural resources, and Scott Pearce, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, announced more than $900,000 for six feasibility studies through the Green Municipal Fund’s (GMF) Community Buildings Retrofit initiative to help cities and towns across Ontario find the best approach to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions at municipally owned buildings.

The Community Buildings Retrofit initiative is part of a $950 million federal investment in the GMF and is designed to scale up energy efficiency and to lower emissions across Canada.

Additionally, Julie Dabrusin, a representative of the minister of natural resources and the minister of environment and climate change, announced $1.3 million in funding to the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) over five years to fund workshops that strengthen energy-efficient home construction and renovation across Canada.

IIBEC has not taken a position on the use of the funds. However, funding could help bring new technologies to market sooner and raise awareness that the building enclosure plays an important role in increasing efficiency or in carbon reduction efforts.