$1.6M for Manitoba biz green plan

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This article was published 01/03/2024 (567 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba businesses have received a shot in the arm to get moving on environmentally sustainable practices.

Winnipeg MP Dan Vandal, the minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, announced Friday the federal government has earmarked $1.6 million to help them out.

“This is something we have to move on very quickly. We have very ambitious targets to be a net-zero economy by 2050. That’s going to take not only the federal government but all governments that are elected, and equally important, it’s going to take the private sector, industry, and we all have to be rowing in the same direction. So I say we need to move quickly,” said Vandal, who made the announcement at the True North Square Assiniboine Credit Union.

Prairies Economic Development Canada is a government department that supports economic development in the Prairie provinces.

The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce said it will use the money to develop a Manitoba Green Advantage plan and an assessment plan for small and medium-sized businesses to help them determine how best to invest in sustainability.

The chamber has hired an expert in environmental management to lead the project, which involves working with businesses to come up with a process through which they can apply for grants to help them be more sustainable.

Chuck Davidson, president and CEO, said a recent survey revealed just 45 per cent of Manitoba business leaders actively incorporate environmental considerations into their strategic plans, despite growing concerns about climate change.

The goal is to be ready to receive grant applications in the fall, and to go into businesses and work with them, Davidson said.

“As part of that road map, work’s already started,” he said. “We’re excited about where this project is going to go.”

A specific timeline for developing the green plan and green assessments for businesses was not announced.

Vandal announced a total of $1,625,000 under a plan launched last December as a result of the Building a Green Prairie Economy Act, which was championed by Jim Carr, a Winnipeg MP who died in 2022. It’s part of the federal government’s goal of helping Canada get to a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.