Got a great green idea for Toronto? Let City Hall help!

The City of Toronto is accepting applications from neighbourhood and community groups for funds to help with projects that reduce emissions, clean our air and protect our climate. A total of $9.5 million will be available over the next five years as part of the city’s Live Green Toronto program, a five-year, $20-million initiative to support community-based actions that green Toronto.

Initiatives eligible for funding include projects to increase tree planting, energy efficiency, renewable energy production, local food production, green roofs and water conservation.

“With Live Green Toronto, we’re taking action on climate change to a whole new level,” said Mayor David Miller. “As we engage neighbourhoods and communities in the fight on climate change -and provide them with the expertise, support and funds they’ve told us they need - we will greatly expand our capacity to green our city and clean our air, and help make Toronto the most liveable city it can be.”

Grants to support community-based green initiatives are available through two funds:

• Live Green Toronto Community Investment Program The Community Investment Program provides seed money of up to $25,000 per project to help communities develop and implement green initiatives. The total available in each of the five years is $200,000.
• Live Green Toronto Capital Fund The Capital Projects Fund provides partial funding for community-based capital projects, to a maximum of $250,000 per project. The total available in 2008 is $500,000. The fund will increase to $2 million per year for 2009 to 2012.

Application details are available online at www.livegreentoronto.ca. The deadline to submit a letter of interest is July 7, 2008.

In addition to the funding opportunities, key elements of Live Green Toronto include Community Animators, who will help community groups take their green ideas from concept to implementation. Community Animators will be in place by the end of July 2008. A dedicated website at www.livegreentoronto.ca provides residents with access to resources, rebates, tools and programs at the municipal, provincial and federal levels.

Live Green Toronto is a key component of Toronto’s Climate Change, Clean Air and Sustainable Energy Action Plan (available at www.toronto.ca/environment), which targets an 80 percent reduction in the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change by 2050.