Whistleblowers who exposed problems at a federal green fund are calling for protection from possible professional or legal retaliation.

The organization targeted by the whistleblowers earlier this year is Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), a foundation created and funded by the federal government.

Under its ongoing agreement with Ottawa, SDTC has $1 billion in federal funds to distribute to small and medium-sized businesses in the clean tech field between 2021 and 2026.

Earlier this year, a group of whistleblowers filed a complaint with the federal government about SDTC's management of public funds and human resources. The group is made up of more than 20 current and former employees, including executives.

Several of their allegations were validated by a recent report from an outside consulting firm, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton. The firm was hired to look into the whistleblowers' complaints by the federal department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).

After receiving the report, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne froze SDTC's ability to approve new projects and ordered reforms to the fund's conflict of interest and project approval policies, among other things.

SDTC operates at arm's length from the government and is not subject to the same rules as federal departments regarding the protection of whistleblowers.

In their report, investigators raised questions about SDTC's decision to distribute $38 million in...

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