Community Vitality 2023 - London Environmental Network
Community Vitality 2023
London Environmental Network
Nonprofit Resiliency Retrofits
Grant: $200,000 for 2 years
Canada has joined over 120 countries in committing to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, which means that our economy will either emit no greenhouse gases or offset its emissions. This ambitious commitment holds the potential to create a cleaner and more prosperous future, but many marginalized communities and non-profit organizations are at risk of being left behind due to barriers in accessing resources, funding, and educational opportunities.
London Environmental Network (LEN) is an organization that is actively working towards creating a green and resilient city in London. In 2022, LEN launched the Nonprofit Resiliency Project (NRP) to support low-income nonprofit organizations in London and Middlesex that provide housing for vulnerable populations. By collaborating with nine such organizations, the project aims to implement sustainable retrofits across the 26 multi-unit residential buildings owned by these organizations, transforming them into more efficient, comfortable, and resilient spaces, ultimately achieving net-zero emissions.
While the project is currently able to offer their services for free, the two-year $200,000 grant from the Community Vitality Grant program will allow LEN to propel its projects and maximize their environmental, social and economic impact. The grant will enable building walkthroughs, data collection on key environmental categories, the creation of customized sustainability reports, and the implementation of retrofit projects. Additionally, it will provide financial support, training, and workshops to the participating organizations.
“This project supports an equitable transition to an electrified economy/net-zero support for all with no one being left behind,” says Nicole Karsch, Director of Programs at LEN. She explains that NRP’s buildings are multi-unit residential buildings (MURB) which face challenges in accessing retrofit benefits. There are limited certified energy advisors in London who can conduct energy audits for MURBs, and most of the buildings also do not qualify for financial backing through the leading incentive program Home Efficiency Rebate + Program. “This project is unique as it meaningfully includes organizations and communities that have traditionally faced barriers to fully participating in the energy transition.”
Find out more about the Community Vitality Grant program at LCF and LEN. You can also listen to our podcast with Nicole Karsch to learn more about LEN.
Read about the other grantees: