Unpaving Paradise: Green Infrastructure Policies to Build Back Better
Sourced from Environment Journal
The Canadian government has informed the country of its plan to develop all future infrastructure through a green lens. This is a key pillar to the post-pandemic green economic recovery effort and has included several funding programs and streams dedicated to building (and renewing) public infrastructure assets which are less carbon-intensive and more resilient.
The Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy plan is backed by $15 billion. Project investments under the first intake of the Green Infrastructure stream will address emerging priorities in water infrastructure, disaster mitigation, and climate change. The Canada Infrastructure Bank has earmarked $10 billion from its overall $35 billion current working budget for loan-based investments toward infrastructure deemed sustainable.
Natural Resources Canada is also establishing the Natural Climate Solutions Fund, which will invest $4 billion over the next 10 years, including $631 million to the Nature Smart Climate Solutions program. This will support projects that restore and enhance wetlands, peatlands, and grasslands to store and capture carbon.
In parallel to funding support, there is growing appreciation for, and accounting of, our municipal natural assets and the role that nature has in helping achieve our climate goals.
But there are still prevalent misconceptions and significant gaps to address, as traditional infrastructure funding schemes don’t always suit the smaller and unique green infrastructure strategies that are needed across the country.
From the Living Architecture Academy
