Natural Climate Solutions
Funding co-designed, co-developed and co-delivered by The First Nations National Guardians Network and Environment and Climate Change Canada
First Nations are on the front lines of climate change. Guardians programs and related stewardship efforts are increasingly advancing powerful, natural based, solutions to these issues. At the same time, they are supporting community and Nation-level priorities such as education, health, poverty reduction, youth empowerment, language and cultural revitalization, and economic revitalization.
In 2021, the Government of Canada announced a $1.4B commitment over 10 years to the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF) to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 5-7 megatons annually through conservation, restoration and enhanced land management of wetlands, peatlands, and grasslands to store and capture carbon. Within this fund, $76.9M has been set aside to support the Indigenous-led Natural Climate Solutions (ILNCS) stream, including $53.8M committed to First Nations-led initiatives. ILNCS funding supports Indigenous Nations, communities and organizations build capacity and to undertake on-the-ground activities for ecological restoration, improved land management, and conservation that store and sequester carbon, while maximizing co-benefits for biodiversity, climate resiliency, and human well-being.
The First Nations National Guardians Network (NGN) is currently in the early stages of engaging with First Nations about the types of natural climate solutions projects that the funding will prioritize and support, as well as developing tools and resources to support First Nations capacity-building and advancing policies to support the administration of the ILNCS program.
The NGN works with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to co-design and co-deliver funding, including planning and implementing calls for proposals, reviewing proposal submissions and making funding recommendations to the NGN Council and ECCC. At this time, ECCC is responsible for administering contribution agreements with recipients.
How To Apply
First Nations Call for Proposals for Indigenous-led Natural Climate Solutions (ILNCS) Initiatives in 2025-2026
We encourage First Nations to submit their proposal for funding:
- The call is open from August 21 – October 3, 2024.
- Funding is available for up to two fiscal years (2025-26 to 2026-27). Funds must be spent by March 31, 2027.
- There is no maximum eligible funding amount that can be applied for.
- More information can be found in the Applicant Guide (download below).
- The selection process is competitive.
How to submit a proposal:
NOTE – All submissions will be sent to the Indigenous Guardians Secretariat – Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
Please submit all required documents no later than (23:59 PST) on October 3, 2024 by email to gardiensautochtones-indigenousguardians@ec.gc.ca. Late submissions will not be accepted. Please note that support will be offered only up to 14:00 (PST) on October 3, 2024.
How proposals will be reviewed:
Proposals will be reviewed by the First Nations National Guardians Network (NGN) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Proposals will be reviewed against criteria included in the Proposal Form and Applicant Guide.
Once proposals have been assessed, funding recommendations will be submitted to the NGN Council for information and ECCC for approval. ILNCS contribution agreements with recipients will be administered by ECCC.
Questions? Need more information?
- Visit: Indigenous-led Natural Climate Solutions
- Visit: Nature-Smart Climate Solutions Fund
- Visit: Nature Based Climate Solutions Toolkit – Nature Canada
Email – Indigenous Guardians Secretariat: gardiensautochtones-indigenousguardians@ec.gc.ca
Download the Proposal Package
The proposal package includes supporting information and required templates. Please review all of the documents before starting your application:
Click to download:
- Applicant Guide (as reference)
- Proposal Form (mandatory)
- Budget Template (mandatory)
- Work Plan Template (mandatory)
- Map (no template provided, but mandatory)
- Band Council Resolution (BCR)/Tribal Council Resolution (TCR)/Letter(s) of support (LOS) (mandatory, no template provided for BCR/TCR, Download template for LOS)
- GHG Reporting (as reference for requirements of end of year report)
- Final Report Template