Environment

Healthy water resources, productive landscapes, and resilient ecosystems support key sectors of the economy while providing essential environmental services that benefit all Albertans. As pressures from population growth, climate change, land-use demands, and resource development increase, innovative solutions are needed to ensure Alberta can balance environmental stewardship with economic growth.

Alberta has a unique opportunity to address these challenges by leveraging its world-class research capabilities, natural resource expertise, and innovation ecosystem to develop sustainable solutions for water, land, and biodiversity management. Through the integration of science, technology, and collaborative partnerships, Alberta can strengthen environmental resilience while supporting thriving communities and responsible resource development.

The Environment Portfolio aims to advance sustainable environmental outcomes through applied research, technology development, and knowledge generation. The portfolio focuses on delivering solutions that support informed decision-making, sustainable resource management, ecosystem health, and climate resilience while addressing current and emerging environmental challenges.

The portfolio aligns research and innovation with government priorities, environmental needs, and industry opportunities by focusing on key innovation areas including Water and Land & Biodiversity. Strategic investments in these areas aim to close knowledge and technology gaps, support the development and adoption of innovative solutions, and strengthen Alberta’s capacity to sustainably manage its natural resources for future generations.

Innovation Areas

Water

Water is vital for life, our communities and the economy. Alberta’s population and demand for water are expected to grow in the coming decades, along with increasing impacts from climate change. The water innovation (WI) focus area is designed with the goals of the Water for Life Strategy in mind including safe, secure drinking water; healthy aquatic ecosystems; and reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable economy.

The WI focus area builds on a history of world-class research and innovation. It helps create and apply relevant, reliable knowledge that will lead to a high-performing, responsive water system for the province of Alberta.

See our application guide for more details and funding priorities.

Land and Biodiversity

Alberta’s primary natural resource industries provide tens of thousands of jobs and are pillars of the provincial economy. They operate in highly competitive global markets and are heavily reliant on broad access to the provincial land base to sustain operations. The land and biodiversity innovation area is designed to help ensure that natural resources industries continue to thrive now and into the future.

The land and biodiversity innovation area has been designed to support innovation that leads to:

Efficient land use management that enables Alberta’s natural resource sectors to access and utilize land resources while successfully balancing the needs of other critical land uses;
Functional terrestrial ecosystems that support sustainable communities through the continued provision of ecological goods and services;
Conservation of Alberta’s biodiversity legacy for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations.

See our portfolio guide for more details and investment priorities.