Climate Change and the Canadian Fossil Fuel Industry: CAPE’s Statement to the Senate Committee

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) provided testimony to the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources on November 21, 2024, arguing that the oil and gas industry is a primary driver of Canada's greatest public health challenge. CAPE advocates for a moratorium on oil and gas development, asserting that industry-led technological solutions are insufficient and that a rapid transition to clean energy is necessary to protect human health and uphold Indigenous rights.

• CAPE calls for a moratorium on oil and gas development, stating that human health is currently at the mercy of fossil fuels due to food insecurity and extreme weather, making this the most significant public health challenge in Canada.
• The organization argues that the oil and gas industry's record on emissions is poor, characterized by rising emissions despite promises, greenwashing, and the underreporting of emissions. CAPE contends that incremental technological solutions, such as subsidizing electric vehicles, fail to align with national climate goals and often create new harms, such as increased mining on Indigenous territories.
• The document highlights severe health impacts linked to the fossil fuel industry, specifically citing a scoping review that connects hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in British Columbia to heart disease, childhood leukemia, asthma, birth defects, and death. In Dawson Creek, BC, the health impacts of the LNG industry are cited as a reason why nearly half of the family physician workforce (at least seven doctors) closed their practices and left the region.
• The financial and systemic burden of climate change on the healthcare system is significant; air pollution from fossil fuel combustion is responsible for 1 in 7 premature deaths in Canada. Additionally, the Canadian Climate Institute estimates that climate change will cost the Canadian healthcare system an extra $110 billion annually within the next 25 years if emissions are not lowered.
• CAPE emphasizes that climate action and the energy transition must be tied to Indigenous reconciliation. They argue that the current model of 'economic reconciliation'—providing jobs in destructive projects—is insufficient, and that clean energy projects could absorb triple the current funding for Indigenous clean energy to strengthen resilience.

APA

Norris, D., & Lem, M. (2024). Climate Change and the Canadian Fossil Fuel Industry: CAPE’s Statement to the Senate Committee. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/climate-change-and-the-canadian-fossil-fuel-industry-capes-statement-to-the-senate-committee/

Chicago

Norris, Dakota, and Melissa Lem. Climate Change and the Canadian Fossil Fuel Industry: CAPE’s Statement to the Senate Committee. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2024. https://cape.ca/climate-change-and-the-canadian-fossil-fuel-industry-capes-statement-to-the-senate-committee/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Norris |first1=Dakota |last2=Lem |first2=Melissa |title=Climate Change and the Canadian Fossil Fuel Industry: CAPE’s Statement to the Senate Committee |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=21 November 2024 |url=https://cape.ca/climate-change-and-the-canadian-fossil-fuel-industry-capes-statement-to-the-senate-committee/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{norris2024climate, author = {Norris, Dakota and Lem, Melissa}, title = {{Climate Change and the Canadian Fossil Fuel Industry: CAPE’s Statement to the Senate Committee}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://cape.ca/climate-change-and-the-canadian-fossil-fuel-industry-capes-statement-to-the-senate-committee/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }