DivestInvest for Health

The "DivestInvest for Health" guide, published by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, provides a strategic framework for health associations and advocacy groups to divest from fossil fuels and reinvest in climate solutions. It argues that continued investment in fossil fuels creates an "ethical contradiction" for health professionals committed to doing no harm, given the public health threats posed by climate change.

• The World Health Organization estimates that climate change will cause 250,000 deaths annually between 2030 and 2050 by increasing rates of heat stress, diarrhea, malaria, and malnutrition.
• The DivestInvest campaign specifically targets the Carbon Underground 200, which consists of the top 100 public coal companies and the top 100 public oil and gas companies globally, ranked by the potential carbon emissions of their proven reserves.
• The DivestInvest commitment for institutions involves three primary actions: immediately stopping new investments in the top 200 fossil fuel companies, divesting from those companies to remove coal, oil, and gas from the portfolio, and prioritizing the reinvestment of at least 5% of the portfolio into climate solutions such as clean technology, transit, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.
• Financial data indicates that the energy sector, which is dominated by fossil fuel companies, has been the worst performing sector of the broad market S&P500 since 2007.
• Renewable energy costs are decreasing rapidly; solar panel prices dropped 50% between 2016 and 2017, and wind power costs in favorable conditions can be one-half to one-third the cost of natural gas- or coal-fired plants.
• The guide outlines a five-step process for organizations to divest-invest: finding allies, identifying current investments, defining the specific request, making the case for divestment to decision-makers, and registering the organization's commitment.
• The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) serves as a model for health associations, having completed its divestment by moving organizational resources into fossil-free bond and equity funds created by MD-Financial.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (n.d.). DivestInvest for Health. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DI-Health-Guide-.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. DivestInvest for Health. n.d. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DI-Health-Guide-.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=DivestInvest for Health |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DI-Health-Guide-.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironmentnddivestinvest, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{DivestInvest for Health}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DI-Health-Guide-.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }