The Government of Canada recently announced the opening of applications for the latest round of its Low Carbon Economy Challenge, with up to $170 million up for grabs for projects deploying proven, low-carbon technologies.

In its launch of the 2023 Challenge, the federal government highlighted the University of Victoria’s progress on a project to electrify a portion of the district energy system that services 32 buildings across its main campus. Supported by up to $2.4 million from the 2022 Challenge Fund, the university is replacing one existing natural gas boiler with electric boilers, which will reduce consumption of natural gas and its overall greenhouse gas emissions, helping the university save on costs and creating a cleaner campus.

“Our campus community has challenged us to do better, creating a sustainable campus,” said Kristi Simpson, vice-president of finance and operations at UVic. “This support will allow us to reduce emissions by 50 percent compared to 2010 levels. UVic now ranks as the world's third-best university for climate action. This next transition will help move the bar forward again for what's feasible — and achievable — in UVic's vision for climate action."

Launched in 2017, the Challenge is part of the federal government’s Low Carbon Economy Fund, targeted at reducing Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. Initially a two-pronged approach consisting of the Challenge and a leadership fund to support the provinces and territories, the government has since added two additional funding streams: the Indigenous Leadership Fund and the Implementation Readiness Fund.

Low Carbon Economy Challenge applications are now open again to projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and align with Canada’s goals for net-zero emissions by 2050.