Climate Challenge Fund supports Island innovation
Fifteen groups will receive close to a million dollars through PEI’s Climate Challenge Fund to help Islanders adapt to climate change, develop new technologies and opportunities, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in innovative ways.
Projects funded in the first year of the program range from work to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and planting trees to sequester carbon, to helping homeowners adapt to increased flood risk and the Island’s technology sector to develop zero emission transportation.
“We are committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and to exploring both the challenges and opportunities that come with a changing climate. The Climate Challenge Fund supports creative, local solutions as well as ensuring our efforts support the diversity of our Island’s population. These projects reflect the diverse array of homegrown talent we have on the Island.”
- Environment, Energy and Climate Action Minister Steven Myers
Announced in February 2019, the Climate Challenge Fund will provide $3 million ($1-million annually) until 2023. The projects approved in the first round of funding will receive up to $960,663 in support. The Climate Challenge Fund accepts applications from a wide range of organizations, including First Nations; municipalities; academic institutions; businesses; and non-profit organizations.
"We thank the Province for its support,” said Charlie Sark, Assistant Professor, UPEI School of Climate Change and Adaptation. “The resources we receive from the Climate Change Challenge fund will allow BIPOC USHR to better understand how discrimination, exclusion, social inequality and systemic injustice is aggravated by climate change, and how this skewed vulnerability can affect racialized and marginalized communities living on the Island."
The next call for applications will launch in the coming month.
Media contact:
Jill Edwards
Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action
jedwards@gov.pe.ca
Backgrounder
Projects approved for support under the Climate Challenge Fund include:
BIPOC USHR - $100,000 to actively address inequities and discrimination that are generated or augmented by climate change and work to ensure discrimination is considered when addressing climate change.
Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) - $99,400 to explore sustainable agriculture practices to improve crop productivity and mitigate climate change.
The City of Charlottetown - $87,150 to support resilient homes, parks and people to adapt to increasing flooding and storm surges.
All EV PEI – $99,382 to provide an education, outreach, and experiential program province-wide to residents and businesses on the climate and ownership benefits of electric vehicles.
Indigenous Art of North America - $15,000 to create a carbon accounting platform for small businesses to provide product and service carbon weight data that can be shared publicly. The assumption is that, by being transparent in reporting; Indigenous Art of North America can create a competitive advantage by improving consumer knowledge of climate change.
The PEI Aquaculture Alliance - $18,100 to measure the carbon offsets of Prince Edward Island Mussel and Oyster Aquaculture.
The Stratford Area Watershed Improvement Group - $16,047 to create of a multi- tier living shoreline demo site. Living shorelines are a soft engineering approach used to stabilize shorelines and slow down the effects of erosion by creating a shoreline that can better withstand wave energy and storms.
Smallman's Fodder Fed Beef - $58,000 to further develop a hydroponic fodder system that produces reliable food source year round for cattle while also decreasing impacts during drought and winter seasons; protecting land from being cleared; and reducing emissions relating to traditional processes which involve tilling, seeding, chopping and bailing.
Upcycle Green Technology - $100,000 to support its Electric Converted Remanufactured Vehicle (ECRV) project. The project intends to reduce CO2 emission by replacing the combustion engine drivetrain of a used vehicle with an all-electric one.
The Town of Stratford - $28,700 to support a town-wide street tree planting program. It will bring much-needed trees to Stratford’s communities and would contribute to residents’ understanding and appreciation for the urban forest.
Rural Municipality of Wellington - $32,925 to install a Lift Station power generator on Mont-Carmel Road to allow for continued sewage collection service during long power interruptions due to severe climate events.
Wind Energy Institute of Canada - $100,000 to work with UPEI’s Climate Research Laboratory to create a climate monitoring facility, including a meteorological tower just north of WEICan’s existing electrical substation. This tower will provide the infrastructure for long-term climate change observations and experiments.
VDot Cleantech Inc. - $80,967 to obtain approval in principal for the design of a new zero emission, hydrogen-fueled power system that could be used in marine, trucking or aerospace industries. Called HyCmax, this zero- emission, hydrogen-fueled power system combines leading edge fuel cell and battery technology. It is supported by of four partners – Tronosjet Maintenance, Almon Equipment, Echandia Marine and Redrock Power Systems.
The Department of Psychology at UPEI - $24,965 to develop of a tool to assess climate change anxiety.
The School of Climate Change and Adaptation at UPEI - $100,000 to develop 1km x 1km high-resolution regional climate scenarios for Prince Edward Island. Developing reliable and high-resolution climate projections for PEI will help local stakeholders and resource managers can make scientifically-sound decisions.