Health, Environment and Equity: Essential Priorities for All Federal Candidates

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) argues that the 'triple planetary crises of pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change' are causing measurable harm to human health in Canada, particularly among vulnerable populations. The organization calls on federal candidates to preserve environmental regulations like the Clean Electricity Regulations and the Oil and Gas Emissions Cap, strengthen the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), establish an Office of Environmental Justice, ban fossil fuel advertising, and enforce 'polluter pays' legislation. CAPE highlights that air pollution from fossil fuels is linked to 34,000 premature deaths in Canada annually and costs the economy $120 billion per year.

• Current and proposed environmental regulations provide significant health and economic benefits. An emissions cap aligned with national targets could prevent approximately 4,860 premature deaths in Canada and create an economic benefit of $45 billion. Additionally, the Clean Electricity Regulations (CER) are projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 181 million tonnes between 2024 and 2050 and generate health benefits of five to eight billion dollars by 2050.
• Air pollution from burning fossil fuels is a primary driver of premature mortality and economic loss in Canada. Health Canada research links this pollution to 34,000 premature deaths in Canada every year, with associated social and economic costs totaling $120 billion annually.
• The document advocates for systemic legal and institutional reforms to protect public health and advance environmental justice. This includes the introduction of a second CEPA modernization bill to address air pollution and hazardous chemical labelling, the creation of a permanent Office of Environmental Justice to implement the National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act, and the strengthening of 'polluter pays' legislation to hold companies financially responsible for health and environmental harms.

APA

CAPE (2025). Health, Environment and Equity: Essential Priorities for All Federal Candidates. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/health-environment-and-equity-essential-priorities-for-all-federal-candidates/

Chicago

CAPE. Health, Environment and Equity: Essential Priorities for All Federal Candidates. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2025. https://cape.ca/health-environment-and-equity-essential-priorities-for-all-federal-candidates/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=CAPE |title=Health, Environment and Equity: Essential Priorities for All Federal Candidates |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=15 April 2025 |url=https://cape.ca/health-environment-and-equity-essential-priorities-for-all-federal-candidates/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cape2025health, author = {CAPE}, title = {{Health, Environment and Equity: Essential Priorities for All Federal Candidates}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://cape.ca/health-environment-and-equity-essential-priorities-for-all-federal-candidates/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }