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

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) has issued a statement calling on all federal election candidates to prioritize the intersection of health, environment, and justice. The organization argues that the 'triple planetary crises' of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss cause measurable human health harm and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including Indigenous, Black, and racialized communities.

• CAPE urges the preservation and expansion of environmental regulations due to their significant health and economic benefits. Specifically, an emissions cap aligned with national targets could prevent approximately 4,860 premature deaths in Canada and provide a $45 billion economic benefit. 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 valued between five and eight billion dollars by 2050 by reducing exposure to pollutants like mercury, particulate matter, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides.
• The organization calls for the strengthening of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) to combat diseases such as asthma, heart disease, and cancers linked to toxic substances. CAPE advocates for a second CEPA modernization bill to improve hazardous chemical labelling for consumer products, address air pollution, and expand provisions for citizen enforcement.
• To address environmental racism and protect communities exposed to fracking, plastics, PCBs, air pollution, and tar sands tailing ponds, CAPE recommends establishing a permanent, high-level Office of Environmental Justice. This office would implement the National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act and serve as a hub for community partnerships and research.
• CAPE advocates for a total ban on fossil fuel advertising and the cessation of all new fossil fuel infrastructure to prevent 'greenwashing' and protect public health. Citing Health Canada research, the document states that air pollution from burning fossil fuels is linked to 34,000 premature deaths annually in Canada, with associated social and economic costs totaling $120 billion per year.
• The statement calls for the strengthening and enforcement of 'Polluter Pays' legislation to hold companies financially accountable for health and environmental harms, including the creation of a fund for climate crisis damages. CAPE emphasizes that these actions must be guided by Indigenous sovereignty and free, prior and informed consent.

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} }