Funding for Sustainable Community Projects

Three community organizations have received $539,000 from the Province’s Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund for climate change projects.

The projects support the move to clean and sustainable energy, the growth of the clean economy and climate change preparedness. Environment and Climate Change Minister Timothy Halman announced the funding today, September 11, in Halifax.

“Communities and community-led organizations are the first responders on climate change and have a wealth of knowledge about what they need to do to adapt to, and mitigate the impacts of, climate change,” said Minister Halman. “I am pleased to announce this funding which helps community organizations to lead the action that is needed to tackle climate change head-on and reduce carbon emissions. In fact, community action and leadership is absolutely critical in ensuring we have a green, sustainable future.”

Hope Blooms, a youth-run social enterprise in Halifax’s North End, received a $130,000 grant to install solar panels. The solar energy will be used to power its greenhouse and gardens, helping to make Hope Blooms’ operations more sustainable. This project will reduce carbon emissions and serve as an educational model for how young people can get involved in taking care of the environment.

One North End, a Halifax-based non-profit organization that addresses social disparities faced by African Nova Scotians, will use a $159,000 grant for a deep energy retrofit of a community building or affordable housing unit while providing training opportunities for African Nova Scotian youth. This project aims to encourage youth in the community to explore careers in the clean building sector.

The Environmental Noxiousness, Racial Inequities and Community Health Project (the ENRICH Project), led by MakeWay, received $250,000 to build climate change preparedness plans for 12 African Nova Scotian communities. The work will help communities become more resilient to the impacts of climate change and advance environmental justice.

The Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund is available to municipalities, non-profit and community organizations, post-secondary institutions and Mi’kmaw communities to help them respond to and prepare for climate change impacts, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Quotes:

“The Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, through the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund, is delighted to announce funding for three innovative projects that embody the spirit of progress and sustainability: Hope Blooms' solar panel installation, One North End’s deep energy retrofit, and the efforts of ENRICH with MakeWay to foster climate change resilience in 12 African Nova Scotian communities. These initiatives set a clear example of how to build a brighter, greener future for all. We look forward to seeing the lasting impact of these projects on our communities.”

– Juanita Spencer, CEO, Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities

“We hope to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change, while educating children and youth about it. There is no better way of learning about renewable energy than having direct contact with it, and there is also no better way of teaching than leading by example. Our environment can only be healed if we re-evaluate the way we live our lives in a holistic way. Switching to cleaner energy is one more step towards the future we want to see now and for the next generations to come. We want children and youth from Uniacke Square who are, as racialized people, disproportionately affected by climate change, to be the future leaders in climate resiliency and green jobs.”

– Veronica Guiterrez, Manager of Growth and Sustainability, Hope Blooms

“The ENRICH Project is a collaborative community-based advocacy, engagement and research organization that is addressing the social, political and health effects of environmental racism and climate change in Black, Indigenous and other racialized communities in Canada. With the generous support of the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund, this project will be delivered in collaboration with the African Nova Scotian Western Service Providers Network, Inspiring Communities, and CLIMAtlantic. The ENRICH Project is a project on MakeWay’s shared platform.”

– Ingrid Waldron, founder and Executive Director, ENRICH With MakeWay

“The retrofit industry is at a tipping point. As retrofit projects launch across the province, the time to include the African Nova Scotian community in this burgeoning industry was yesterday.”

– Rodney Small, Executive Director, One North End Community Economic Development Society

Quick Facts:

• the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund was established on October 27, 2021, as part of the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act, the government’s legislated commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, respond to climate change, transform how Nova Scotians produce and use energy, make homes more energy efficient, and more
• the fund provides $15 million over three years for projects that help communities adapt to climate change, mitigate its impacts and help Nova Scotia reduce its greenhouse gas emissions
• the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities was selected through a request for proposals process to develop and administer the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund on behalf of the government

Additional Resources:

More information on the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund is available at: https://nschallengefund.ca/

Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/environmental%20goals%20and%20climate%20change%20reduction.pdf

News release – Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities to Deliver Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20220414003