Carbon Down. Community Up.

Accelerating Ottawa’s transition to an equitable carbon-neutral future.

Analysis – How Ottawa can Cut Carbon Emissions and Deliver Housing with Fill it First

Fill it First strategies that house more people on existing residential lots can reduce climate emissions from new housing by up to 50 percent.

Climate and Affordable Housing can be Tackled Together

Reflections from Canada Home Energy Justice 2025

Students Take on the Future of Clean Energy at Kanata North

Student hackathon explores how Kanata North Tech Park can become a leading Clean Energy Resilience District

We are focused on:

Efficient, net-zero buildings

Sustainable transportation

Liveable, low-carbon, resilient neighbourhoods

Connecting climate action and economic prosperity

Equitable climate action

90% of Ottawa’s carbon emissions come from buildings and transportation. We know how to bring our carbon down. The local solutions to climate change create good, green jobs, bring us resilient, more affordable housing, deliver efficient local transportation systems, and make life better for everyone. But we need to scale those solutions up. Clearing the barriers to faster, more effective action is what OCAF is all about.

We act through...

Grants

Providing support to NGOs and researchers to analyze, develop and implement strategic initiatives to accelerate climate action and overcome barriers to scale-up.

Granting

Programs

Cultivating partnerships, vetting opportunities, promoting solutions, and communicating opportunities.

Current Programs

Investments

Supporting private investors and entrepreneurs in financing impactful low-carbon projects and business models that inspire replication.

Current Investments

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Our Programs

Fill It First

An approach to meeting Ottawa’s housing needs through gentle density

We scale up climate solutions in ways that benefit community.

We bring people together, support and fund local climate projects, and invest in low-carbon ingenuity to ensure a thriving, resilient city for all.

Land Acknowledgement

OCAF is located on traditional and unceded Algonquin Anishnaabe Territory. We acknowledge the original inhabitants’ claim to this land and commit to working with all Indigenous people towards reconciliation and decolonization. We believe that carbon reduction is integral to strengthening these relationships and this work.