Deborah Kenley, Senior Coordinator of Greening Corporate Grounds at Credit Valley Conservation
Partnerships can provide the financial support and technical expertise you need to transform your sustainability vision into reality.
A successful business is often built on the combined efforts of many staff with different expertise. From talent acquisition specialists to supply chain logisticians, each employee plays a focused role in moving a product or service to market.
Although sustainability is critical to business success and longevity, unless sustainability is your business, you may not have the dedicated staff or budget to move sustainability goals forward. Identifying appropriate projects and knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. Luckily, there are dedicated programs like Credit Valley Conservation’s Greening Corporate Grounds (GCG) to help MBOT members and businesses in Mississauga access the tools, funding and guidance they need to turn ideas into on-the-ground action. Here’s how.
Free Sustainable Landscaping Assessment and Action Plan
Through its partnership with the City of Mississauga and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s Partners in Project Green, GCG provides Mississauga businesses with a free property assessment to identify sustainable landscaping and stormwater management opportunities. Each assessment includes detailed project recommendations and an action plan to share with stakeholders and set you on the path to success. Eligible projects can help businesses qualify for a credit on their stormwater charge.
Technical Expertise
GCG staff work closely with their colleagues in restoration and external contractors to help participants implement a variety of sustainable landscaping projects on their properties, like converting grass to meadow or forest, managing existing woodlots or re-establishing a degraded or buried creek. Restoration teams can also help businesses take advantage of the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program and the Forests Ontario 50 Million Tree Program.
Funding and Grant Application Support
When CRH Group Canada wanted to enhance wildlife habitat along their lakeshore property, GCG worked with their green team to secure funding from the federal Habitat Stewardship Program. Together, with in-kind and financial contributions from CRH, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics University of Guelph and CVC’s Tree Planting Program, they created a two-hectare migratory bird flyway.
The federal government has recently increased funding availability for natural capital projects like sustainable parking lot retrofits, tree planting and blue roofs. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Intact Foundation also offer funding for climate change adaptation projects. These funds are often accessible to businesses that have shovel-ready projects supported by a partner organization, like Credit Valley Conservation.
GCG and its partners can help you identify, implement and fund your sustainability projects. Join us in taking the lead in corporate landscape sustainability that supports Sustainable Development Goals like climate action, life below water and life on land. Connect with us at [email protected] or cvc.ca/gcg to find opportunities for you and your business.
