Funding to reduce CO2 emissions, build climate resiliency approved by committee

The City of Ottawa’s Environment and Climate Change Committee approved funding outlined in Draft Budget 2025, involving investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resiliency.

This budget also plans to allocate funds to support services that residents rely on, such as water services and waste collection, wrote the City of Ottawa in a news release.

Investment from the city will also include funding for two new programs working to grow Ottawa’s tree canopy. The new Private Land Tree-Planting Program will distribute trees across Ottawa, as well as offer full-service, complimentary tree planting in priority areas.

This promotes efforts to increase tree planting, as well as enhance public education and awareness of urban forest stewardship, wrote the city.

Additionally, the municipality said it plans to invest $500,000 to begin new proactive tree replacements, as staff work to identify priority areas for tree planting across the nation’s capital.

“This will ensure more equitable access to the health, economic and environmental benefits of urban forests while planting trees where they are needed most,” the press release reads.

The city will also be investing $6 million, each year, in the Climate Change Master Plan, in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance climate resiliency.

More specifically, $347 million will be allocated to initiatives working to reduce emissions, while over $22 million will be set aside to enhance Ottawa’s climate resilience.

The City of Ottawa provided a breakdown of the investments that will strengthen its resilience, including:

• $14 million for tree and forest maintenance and $1.9 million for tree planting
• $2.8 million in energy-management investments
• $2.8 million in energy-management investments

According to Ottawa, Draft Budget 2025 will also reserve $361 million in capital investments towards drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. This includes:

• $224.6 million investment in wastewater for growth and asset renewal, including $157 million in projects at the Robert O. Pickard Environmental Centre
• $85.6 million to ensure a continued supply of quality drinking water, including renewal of water purification plants
• $33.8 million for stormwater services
• $17 million for integrated water and sewer projects

Additional funding will towards go sustainable waste management, with an additional $37.1 million in investments towards:

• $19 million for capital construction at the Trail Waste Facility landfill
• $2.3 million for Solid Waste Master Plan initiatives
• $1.5 million for continued enhanced waste-diversion efforts, including at City parks

The Committee’s Draft Budget 2025 will be presented to council for review on Wednesday, Dec. 11.