Sean Kilpatrick/CP Environment Minister Catherine McKenna speaks in Ottawa on June 25, 2019.

The federal government will spend $60 million in revenue from its carbon pricing system to help elementary and secondary schools in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and New Brunswick become more energy efficient. Speaking outside a school in Ottawa Tuesday, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna framed the funding as a response to “provinces that have stepped back and made it free to pollute.” Those four provinces are fighting the carbon pricing system in court. All had a federal carbon tax of $20 per tonne forced on them in April because they lacked their own carbon-pricing system that met federal standards. Alberta, which scrapped its carbon tax weeks ago, will have the price imposed on it in January. “I know that young people care about taking action on climate change,” McKenna said. “We’ve seen them marching in the streets demanding action and wanting to be part of the solution.” Watch: McKenna says Liberals won’t raise carbon price after 2022

Liberals have said 90 per cent of the proceeds from the carbon tax will go back to Canadians in those jurisdictions in the form of income tax rebates. The remaining 10 per cent of revenue will fund green projects for schools, hospitals, small businesses, and other jurisdictions. The funding announced Tuesday is from that pool of money. “How great would it be to see solar panels on every school, more energy-efficient windows, better lighting, better heating and cooling systems,” she said. “This will improve the learning environment for students. It does right by the planet and it also helps schools save money, which they can re-invest in students.” Ontario will receive $41 million, while $12 million will be dedicated to Saskatchewan, $5 million for Manitoba, and $2 million for New Brunswick. The minister said almost 6,000 schools would be eligible for the funding. Since education is a matter of provincial jurisdiction, McKenna said she wrote to each of those provincial governments to say the funding is there for the taking and will not need to be matched by the provinces.