If Vancouver wants to become the greenest city by 2020, establishing the $2-million Greenest City Action Fund “represents an essential and significant step forward on the path” to making that happen, according to a city staff report to come before council Tuesday (April 17).

According to the report, council will be voting on establishing a fund “to enable community projects” that advance the goals set as part of the Greenest City Action Plan that the Vision Vancouver-dominated council passed in July 2011.

The city’s portion is $1 million, according to the report. Council is also being asked to accept the Vancouver Foundation as a partner.

The foundation would kick in a matching $1 million and administer the fund, which would be disbursed out over the next four years to further goals that include the areas of local food, climate, green buildings, green transportation, zero waste, access to nature, clean energy, and the green economy.

The report adds that $500,000 from the city would be injected into the fund immediately, with the remainder to come from off-street parking funds that fall under “Parking Sites Reserve”.