Deadline: 7-Aug-23
Applications are now open for the Christchurch City Council’s Sustainability Fund to encourage community, school, social enterprise or business projects that help meet the climate change objectives and targets.
Objectives
- Meet the challenge of climate change through every means available.
- Understand and prepared for the ongoing impacts of climate change.
- Benefit from a just transition to an innovative, low-emission economy.
- Be the guardians of the natural environment and taonga.
Targets
- The emission reduction targets, from a 2016/17 baseline are:
- Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions (excluding methane) for Christchurch by 2045, and a 50% reduction by 2030.
- At least a 50% reduction by 2045 of methane emissions in Christchurch, and a 25% reduction by 2030.
- For Christchurch City Council activities to be carbon neutral by 2030.
- Christchurch’s main sources of greenhouse gas emissions are from transport (55%), energy used in buildings and infrastructure (18%), farming (15%), solid waste and sewage treatment (8%) and industrial gases (4%).
Eligible Projects
- The Council welcomes innovative proposals that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Christchurch or proposals that grow the resilience to the impacts of climate change, such as projects that:
- Help the community adopt more sustainable behaviours and practices.
- Support the rapid transition to an innovative, low emission economy.
- Increase the uptake of zero-emission mobility such as walking and cycling.
- Reduce consumption, eliminate waste or support a circular economy.
- Encourage the efficient use of resources such as energy, water, waste and materials.
- Increase the uptake of renewable energy.
- Support a regenerative food system and farming practices.
- Enhance ecosystem resilience and nature-based, green infrastructure solutions.
- Remove greenhouse gases directly from the atmospheres, such as forest or wetland restoration and soil carbon improvements.
- Help them to better understand, prepare for, or respond to the environmental, social, cultural or economic impacts of climate change.
Eligibility Criteria
- Community organisations, schools, social enterprises and businesses can apply to this fund.
- Applicants must be a legal entity registered in New Zealand, such as an incorporated society, charitable trust or limited liability company.
- Preference will be given to Christchurch-based organisations or partnerships involving Christchurch organisations.
- Individuals seeking funds will need to partner with a legal entity and include in the application a letter from the host entity endorsing the proposed project and partnership arrangement.
- Generally, applications led by government organisations will not be considered. However, partnerships involving government organisations are acceptable.
- Only one application per project will be accepted in each Council financial year (July to June). Organisations may put forward more than one project in a year.
- Applicants should have made reasonable efforts to secure funding from other sources before applying to this fund.
Ineligibility Criteria
- The following will not generally be funded:
- projects solely undertaking investigations such as scoping, research or feasibility.
- activities whose primary purpose is the private gain or advancing private business interests without a public good component.
- retrospective costs incurred or settled before the agreed commencement date of the funding agreement.
- debt servicing or re-financing costs.
- stock or capital market investment.
- gambling or prize money.
- payment of any legal expenditure, including costs or expenditures related to mediation disputes or ACC, Employment Tribunal, Small Claims Tribunal, Professional or Disciplinary Body hearings.
- payment of fines, court costs, mediation costs, IRD penalties or retrospective tax payments.
- purchase of land and buildings.
- purchase of vehicles and any related ongoing maintenance, repair, overhead costs or road user charges.
- activities or initiatives where the primary purpose is to promote the religious ministry, political objectives, commercial or profit-oriented interests.
- medical or healthcare costs, including treatment and insurance fees.
- fundraising.
- money that will be redistributed as grant funding, sponsorship, donations, bequests, aid funding or aid to other recipients.
- air travel, accommodation, hotel/motel expenses.
- conference fees and costs.
- projects that have received other Council funding in the same financial year.
- projects that are considered to be the primary responsibility of the local or central government or another funding body.
For more information, visit Christchurch City Council.