NORTH
VANCOUVER, BC, May 15, 2024
/CNW/ - Planting two billion trees across the country by 2031 will
help Canada's efforts to tackle
the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, but such
an endeavour requires strong partnerships. Trees capture and
store carbon from the atmosphere, improve air and water quality,
support biodiversity, and the forest sector supports thousands of
good jobs.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and
Natural Resources, and Scott Pearce,
the President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM),
announced that FCM's Green Municipal Fund (GMF) will play an
important role in Canada's
ambitious goal to plant two billion trees and contribute to climate
action. This will be achieved through Growing Canada's Community
Canopies (GCCC), a new $291-million
initiative designed to be implemented in and around communities
across the country, both large and small. Working together,
Canada and FCM will expand the
reach of the 2 Billion Trees program to accelerate planting efforts
and contribute to Canada's broader
approach to nature-based climate solutions.
GCCC will work to ensure that the right type of tree is planted
in the right places so that communities across Canada can grow, manage and protect their tree
canopies, which will maximize the environmental and social benefits
provided by trees, while also ensuring that these trees survive
long-term.
This initiative was developed with smaller, rural, and remote
communities in mind and aims to plant at least 1.2 million new
trees across the country by the end of March
2031. Local governments can access funding for new ambitious
and equitable tree planting projects valued at up to $10 million for tree planting, planning and
operations through GCCC.
This funding will also support community-wide planting
activities, including planting trees and seedlings in parks,
community access and naturalized areas, as well as localized
planting including street trees. The deadline to submit a full
application for this round of funding is July 12, 2024.
GCCC will contribute to Canada's efforts to mitigate climate change
while achieving key biodiversity and conservation goals, as well as
improving the health of Canadians. This includes providing shade,
cooling temperatures, preventing flooding, improving air quality,
boosting mental health, and fostering equitable access to trees
across communities.
Quotes
"Trees are essential to our lives, as they clean the air we
breathe, make our urban spaces more enjoyable, provide new habitats
for wildlife and help us adapt to our changing climate while
mitigating its impacts by sequestering carbon emissions. Supported
by federal funding announced today, the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities will play an important role in bringing these
benefits to Canadians and in helping to achieve our ambitious goal
of planting two billion trees over the next decade. Through this
initiative, we are showing how collaborative work between the
federal government and communities across the country, both large
and small, can ensure that the right tree is planted at the right
place at the right time for the benefit of all Canadians."
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
"Restoring nature is one of the best strategies we have to fight
climate change, while improving air and water quality at the same
time. It's also one of the best ways to build healthy, thriving,
livable cities. Urban forests clean the air that we breathe,
improve water quality, enhance biodiversity and help cool our urban
centres. The trees we plant today will improve our quality of life,
health and well-being for generations to come."
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change
"Trees stand as a powerful ally in our efforts to combat climate
change and enhance the well-being of Canadians. GMF's Growing
Canada's Community Canopies initiative ensures we plant the right
trees in the right places. This not only helps prevent flooding and
supports wildlife but also enriches our urban areas. Our commitment
to green spaces further bolsters our pledge to a sustainable
future, ensuring our communities prosper alongside nature."
Scott Pearce
FCM President
"Trees and resilient ecosystems are essential to the well-being
of all communities, large and small, and to our collective efforts
in addressing the impacts of a changing climate and declining
biodiversity. As a GCCC partner, Tree Canada looks forward to
sharing our long-standing expertise in urban forestry with
municipalities to maximize the long-term environmental and social
benefits of their tree planting and greening efforts."
Nicole Hurtubise
CEO, Tree Canada
Quick Facts
- GCCC is funded through the Government of Canada's 2 Billion Trees program and is a
further expansion of GMF's mandate to focus on nature-based climate
solutions.
- Additional calls for applications for tree planting funding are
expected to be announced for the Fall and Winter seasons.
- GMF has partnered with Tree Canada, a non-profit organization
renowned for its urban forestry expertise, to ensure that local
governments have access to tailored support services and knowledge
that will enhance tree planting projects. This support includes
guiding how to improve tree species and site selection with careful
consideration for biodiversity and climate, ensuring the success
and longevity of this initiative.
- The FCM's Green Municipal Fund is a globally unique
organization providing funding and education to municipalities to
help them both reach net-zero and build resilient communities,
while also delivering economic and social benefits such as jobs,
housing and infrastructure. It is funded by the Government of
Canada and delivered by the
Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Since inception in 2000, it
has helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.87 million tonnes,
funded nearly 13,000 person-years of employment, enabled nearly
30,000 sustainable affordable housing units, and contributed
$1.2 billion to the national GDP via
the more than 2,100 approved projects.
Associated links
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Green Municipal Fund
Growing Canada's Community
Canopies
2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy
2 Billion Trees Commitment
Tree planting funding
Urban Forest Coaching
SOURCE FEDERATION OF CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES