New Fund Invests $200 Million of Cap and Trade Proceeds to Make Schools Greener, Better Places to Learn
Ontario’s investment to repair school buildings and improve student experiences includes $200 million this year from the new Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). As part of its Climate Change Action Plan, the province is allocating $200 million worth of cap and trade proceeds to launch the fund for schools across the province to install energy-efficient building elements such as new windows, lights and furnaces, which will help improve student health and fight climate change.
Premier Kathleen Wynne and Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Education, were at Cedarvale Community School in Toronto today to announce that Ontario will spend $1.4 billion on school renewal and repairs this year, which includes the $200 million GGRF. The GGRF will support retrofit projects that reduce energy use in schools. These projects will benefit students by creating a healthier and more comfortable learning environment and building a low-carbon province in which they can thrive.
Ontario is committed to helping every child get off to a good start in life and have the opportunity to reach their potential. In addition to investing a total of $1.4 billion this year to make schools better places to learn, Ontario is investing in increasing access to affordable, quality licensed child care, making prescription medications free for everyone 24 years of age and younger through OHIP+ and transforming the Ontario Student Assistance Program to make average tuition free for more than 210,000 students and reduce the cost for many more.
Making schools better learning environments and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.
Quick Facts
- In recent years, the province has significantly increased the amount invested annually in school repairs and renewal. Since 2013, Ontario has invested almost $10 billion to renew schools and provide students with better, safer and healthier learning environments.
- The GGRF will provide $200 million in funding in 2017–18 for school building upgrades such as high-efficiency lighting, building automation systems, energy-efficient windows, and solar energy and geothermal systems. The GGRF will be funded through proceeds from Ontario’s cap and trade auctions.
- This funding is part of Ontario’s $1.4 billion investment this year to improve school buildings by repairing and upgrading elements such as roofs, flooring and plumbing systems.
- Ontario is investing proceeds from cap and trade auctions into Climate Change Action Plan actions to help meet legislated provincial targets to cut greenhouse gas pollution to 15 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, 37 per cent by 2030 and 80 per cent by 2050.
- This investment includes support for energy-efficiency retrofits for schools, businesses, universities, colleges, houses and social housing apartments.
- Buildings, and the energy they consume, account for almost one quarter of Ontario’s total greenhouse gas pollution.
Photo from: www.cbc.ca
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