Fredericton eco projects get funding

The New Brunswick government is giving $30,000 to the city of Fredericton for a new program that encourages non-commercial organizations to go green.

The city said the new program, known as Green Matters Certified, will help participants save money and focus on things like water conservation, recycling and transportation.

“Our function here will be to work with these groups to help them to impact on their environmental footprints and help them measure that,” said deputy mayor Dan Keenan.

The city has launched a pilot project as a starting point, which will continue until spring of 2011. Participants in the pilot project include community and faith-based organizations, festivals, events and conferences.

“This program is novel across Canada, even perhaps across North America,” said Taylor Gray, program coordinator for Green Matters Certified. “So it's really an opportunity to take the next step in reducing the city's environmental footprint.”