The program provides grant funding for municipalities to develop high-quality, innovative planning documents that establish a roadmap toward net-zero emissions. These plans must demonstrate innovation, have significant long-term greenhouse gas reduction potential and use integrated planning approaches that translate into actionable outcomes.

To be eligible, proposed plans must demonstrate a high level of innovation in scope or partnerships, use collaborative processes that integrate multiple disciplines and include operationalization strategies that identify implementation requirements such as projected capital needs and alternative engineering standards.

Key Program Requirements:

Innovation: Projects must target significant performance improvements through new knowledge, policy, practice, business models, or advanced technology applications, or represent substantive changes to current operating conditions.

Significant GHG Reduction Potential: Plans must have potential to generate or enable substantial emissions reductions either directly through project implementation or indirectly by creating enabling conditions like net-zero design guidelines.

Equity Considerations: While not mandatory, preference is given to projects that integrate anti-racism, equity, inclusion and reconciliation principles, apply inclusive community engagement, implement social procurement and generate significant socio-economic benefits.

Multi-solving Approach: Higher evaluation scores are awarded to projects demonstrating excellence in areas such as water conservation, sustainable materials management, biodiversity and meaningful stakeholder engagement.