News release

More Funding to Help Make Communities Resilient to Climate Change

Environment and Climate Change
Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund

Communities across Nova Scotia will be able to do more to prepare for, and respond to, climate change with a $15.4-million top-up to the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund.

The additional funding will extend the program to 2028 and help more Nova Scotians and communities respond to climate change, prepare for extreme weather events, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and switch to clean, renewable and more affordable energy.

“This past summer was extremely difficult for people across our province with unprecedented wildfires and flooding – events that we should expect to see more of because of global climate change,” said Environment and Climate Change Minister Timothy Halman. “The additional funding we are announcing today will help more Nova Scotians to prepare and plan for climate change so that we lessen its impacts and make our communities stronger and more resilient.”

The fund was launched with $15 million available over three years. The first call for proposals generated 102 applications requesting $37 million in funding. To date, more than $3.7 million for 14 projects has been announced.

The call for the second round of applications will be announced in the coming weeks. Those interested in receiving notification can register for the fund’s mailing list at: https://nschallengefund.ca/contact/#mailing-list

Quotes:

“The Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, through the Sustainable Community Challenge Fund, is pleased to continue supporting local action on climate change for years to come. We are grateful to be entrusted by the Province with managing the fund and embrace the responsibility of helping communities become more climate ready. Through this work, we are seeing the powerful impact that collaborative efforts can wield in addressing climate change. We look forward to seeing more of these inspiring projects in the future.”

– Juanita Spencer, CEO, Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities

Quick Facts:

  • the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund was announced on October 27, 2021, as part of the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act
  • 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/

Funding news releases:

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

NOTE: The total amount of funding and projects under the fund to date were updated September 28, 2023.

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