New Climate Action Funding Announced for Youth and Businesses in Manitoba

WINNIPEG, Jan. 20, 2020 /CNW/ - Climate change is the defining issue of our time. Canada is taking real, practical and ambitious action to protect the environment and transition to a cleaner economy.

Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced $200,000 in funding through the federal government's Climate Action Fund, including $100,000 for Assiniboine Park Conservancy and $100,000 for Eco-West Canada.

Assiniboine Park Conservancy will work with youth to identify key barriers they face to effective climate change action and collaboratively create a social media campaign to address those barriers. This project will help young Canadians raise awareness and build skills to influence positive change on the environment.

Eco-West Canada will work with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to raise awareness and provide risk mitigation training to municipalities across the Prairies. These partnerships will allow communities to develop climate action and resiliency plans.

The Climate Action Fund provides up to $3 million annually to support projects delivered by students, youth, Indigenous peoples and organizations, not-for-profit organizations, small and medium-sized businesses, and research and educational institutions that raise awareness of climate change and encourage others to take meaningful climate action.

Quotes

"I am inspired by the initiatives brought forward by Canadians from coast to coast to coast. All across Manitoba, local groups like Assiniboine Park Conservancy and Eco-West Canada are engaged in meaningful climate action that encourages others to participate in the fight against climate change. As we aim for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, our Government is committed to supporting Canadians across the country in transitioning to a cleaner, more prosperous future for our kids and our grandkids."
? The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"As an organization committed to environmental education, we are always looking for ways to inspire the next generation of climate champions. We worked collaboratively with the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, Polar Bears International, and five Manitoba high schools to provide students with an immersive and potentially life-changing experience designed to help them identify, understand, and break down barriers to climate change action through effective communication. We are grateful for the support of Environment and Climate Change Canada for this program."
? Bruce Keats, Chief Operations Officer, Assiniboine Park Conservancy

"The Business-Climate Initiative was created in order to increase the capacity of small and medium-sized businesses to recognize the risks and impacts of climate change on their sector while providing them with the tools to increase their resilience and, thus, their economic sustainability. Eco-West Canada is proud to partner with the federal government for the delivery of this initiative. The successful implementation of Eco-West Canada's municipal green infrastructure and sustainable economic development projects in Western Canada would not be possible without the support of the federal government."
? Dany Robidoux, Executive Director, Eco-West Canada

Quick facts

• A total of 19 projects were selected for funding from the 2019?20 Climate Action Fund intake.
• Since 2018, CAF funding has supported a wide variety of initiatives that spur conversations and encourage climate action.

Associated links

• Assiniboine Park
• Eco-West Canada
• Climate Action Fund
• Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page 

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada