The Halifax Climate Investment, Innovation and Impact Fund (HCi3) is helping Halifax reach its full emissions reduction potential and unlocking co-benefits for local communities. HCi3 is one of seven non-profit organizations that, along with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, make up Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3). The Government of Canada has invested over $180 million in LC3 to help reduce the negative impacts of climate change across Canada.
The Fund will use a mix of financial grants and endowment investments to accelerate projects that will result in GHG reductions, other environmental improvements, community benefits and the leveraging or mobilizing of private capital.
In March 2019, the Government of Canada announced an investment of $950 million to the Green Municipal Fund, a program of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), of which $183 million was allocated to support the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) initiative. LC3 is a partnership between seven urban Centres representing Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver, and FCM. The Funds will help to bridge the commercialization gap and reduce the business risk of developing and scaling low-carbon technologies and innovations.
LC3 Centres will be required to match or leverage the initial funding with municipal, provincial and private sector capital over the first 10 years. The initial funding for the Halifax Climate Investment, Innovation and Impact Fund is a $15 million endowment and $2.7 million operating grant.