The provincial and federal governments have joined forces to provide funding to thirteen local emission reduction projects.

Ottawa is contributing about $4.8-million from the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund, while the provincial government is chipping in some $3.3-million.

The funding is intended to help lower emissions, improve fuel efficiency and help communities save on energy costs.

Federal Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan shared the details of three of those projects.

The Fisheries and Marine Institute will switch from light fuel oil to lower-emitting fuels for their live-fire training exercises at the offshore safety and survival centre for fire safety, replacing oil furnaces in the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation’s public housing units to make them more energy-efficient, while the City of St. John’s Carbon Sequestration Reforestation Project will help to develop hectares of reforested urban forest.

O’Regan says these initiatives are part of the plan to combat climate change using local solutions. He says climate change is measured globally but felt locally.