Government of Canada announces funding to help Ontario colleges, universities save energy

April 5, 2018

College and university campuses across the province will see a range of energy-saving upgrades thanks to new funding announced today by the Government of Canada. Investing in energy-efficiency retrofits will help to protect the environment and grow the economy by reducing carbon pollution, supporting good local jobs, and helping schools reduce operating costs.

During a visit today to McMaster University, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, announced up to $145 million in federal funding to support Ontario’s new Greenhouse Gas Campus Retrofit Program.

While on campus, McKenna also toured the construction site of McMaster’s future co-generation project, located at the Arthur Bourns Building, and visited with a class of Integrated Science students.

“Canadians understand that the environment and the economy go together. Universities and colleges play an important role in training and equipping Canada’s future leaders to tackle the challenges and opportunities that climate change presents,” says  Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Canada. “We’re proud to work with the Ontario government to put practical climate solutions into action on campuses across the province. By investing in energy-saving upgrades, we can support good local jobs and help schools reduce their operating costs, while cutting carbon pollution and supporting clean economic growth.”

The Province of Ontario has committed to contribute $214 million in grants to the Campus Retrofit Program, and it is offering universities and colleges interest-free loans valued at up to $300 million to retrofit college and university facilities in 2017–18. The provincial investment is part of Ontario’s five-year Climate Change Action Plan, which is making life more affordable for people across the province and making Ontario a leader in the global fight against climate change. The Action Plan is funded by proceeds from Ontario’s cap on pollution and carbon market.

The Government of Canada’s contribution comes from the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund, which provides $1.4 billion to provinces and territories that have adopted the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. Today’s announcement is part of the $420 million the Province of Ontario will receive through the Leadership Fund to support priorities Ontario has identified to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.