Whittling Away the Health and Climate Benefits from a Canada-Wide Coal Plant Phase-0ut?

A letter from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) to the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, urging the strengthening of legislation for the phase-out of coal-fired power plants in Canada by 2030 to maximize health and climate benefits.

• CAPE references a Pembina report estimating that a 2030 coal phase-out could result in $5 billion in health benefits and a reduction of greenhouse gases by up to 325 Mt between 2015 and 2035, over and above existing regulations.
• The organization expresses concern that the coal phase-out may rely too heavily on natural gas plants, which they argue is irresponsible due to methane's high Global Warming Potential (86 times more powerful than CO2 over 20 years) and fugitive emissions. They advocate for prioritizing energy conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy, suggesting that at least two thirds of generation be replaced with renewables.
• CAPE recommends specific amendments to the Reduction of Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Coal-fired Generation of Electricity Regulations (SOR/2012-167), including redefining the 'useful life' of coal-fired generators to 40 years (down from 50), requiring coal-to-gas generators to meet a 420 tCO2e/GWh emission rate immediately, and ensuring new natural gas plants meet a 350 tCO23/GWh standard.
• The document assertsL claims that a correctly implemented accelerated closure of coal plants could prevent 1,000 premature deaths and 900 hospital visits through improved air quality, while also protecting children's mental capacity by reducing ecosystem mercury levels.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2017). Whittling Away the Health and Climate Benefits from a Canada-Wide Coal Plant Phase-0ut? https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/4.Letter-to-Minister-McKenna-re-Strengthening-national-coal-phase-out-legislation-July-2017.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Whittling Away the Health and Climate Benefits from a Canada-Wide Coal Plant Phase-0ut? 2017. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/4.Letter-to-Minister-McKenna-re-Strengthening-national-coal-phase-out-legislation-July-2017.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Whittling Away the Health and Climate Benefits from a Canada-Wide Coal Plant Phase-0ut? |date=11 July 2017 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/4.Letter-to-Minister-McKenna-re-Strengthening-national-coal-phase-out-legislation-July-2017.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2017whittling, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Whittling Away the Health and Climate Benefits from a Canada-Wide Coal Plant Phase-0ut?}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2017}, month = jul, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/4.Letter-to-Minister-McKenna-re-Strengthening-national-coal-phase-out-legislation-July-2017.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }