Federal and provincial investments have been announced to support 13 low carbon leadership projects in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Government of Canada is providing approximately $4.8 million from the Low Carbon Economy Fund. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is also contributing $3.3 million in support of these initiatives from the province’s Climate Change Challenge Fund.
The City of St. John’s Carbon Sequestration Reforestation Project will receive approximately $77,900 from Canada and the province to reduce emissions and increase carbon sequestration in the City Park Land Project. It will expand the St. John’s urban forest’s ecological services with 11.4 hectares of reforestation, resulting in lower emissions from reduced turf maintenance and improved carbon sequestration.
“Renaturalizing 11.4 hectares of land across 13 City parks and open spaces reduces the need for turf maintenance in those areas, which reduces our fossil fuel use, saving greenhouse gas emissions and financial resources,” said Danny Breen, Mayor of the City of St. John’s.
“The City of St. John’s has a strategic priority to be a sustainable city today and for future generations. Replanting previously cleared sites is identified in the City’s Urban Forest Management Plan and the benefits of this reforestation project align with our recently released Corporate Climate Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in City operations while stabilizing energy costs by supporting energy efficiency.”
Other projects that will receive funding are the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation’s Furnace Replacement Project with $786,130, and the Fisheries and Marine Institute’s Fuel Switching Project with $1,039,980. The remaining ten projects will be announced soon.
“Through projects such as these, and our Climate Change Action Plan, we are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stimulate clean innovation and growth, and build resilience to climate change impacts,” said Bernard Davis, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. “Such projects are part of the work to support the development of a green economy and initiatives to move the province forward both environmentally and economically.”
