The Need for Health Impact Assessments to be Integrated into all Federal Environmental Assessment Processes

A submission from health organizations and professionals to the Expert Panel reviewing federal environmental assessment (EA) processes in Canada, calling for the mandatory integration of Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) to better reflect the well-being of people and communities.

• The authors argue that current federal Environmental Assessment (EA) processes are insufficient because they primarily focus on impacts to plant and animal species rather than human health and well-being.
• The submission advocates for a comprehensive definition of health based on World Health Organization (WHO) standards, which views health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, shaped by ecological, social, economic, cultural, and psychological determinants.
• The document highlights that climate change is the most significant threat to global health in the 21st century and insists that greenhouse gas emissions be included in federal EA processes.
• The authors claim that failing to integrate health into development decisions leads to overburdened and costly healthcare systems, whereas preventive fiscal benefits would outweigh the costs of including health in decision-making.
• A 2015 audit by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development found that ministers were often not provided with information regarding potential important environmental effects for the majority of proposals submitted to them.
• The submission asserts that baseline health and community well-being data are currently ad hoc and poorly understood in EA processes, making it impossible to accurately measure the effects of development proposals.
• The authors recommend that Health Impact Assessment (HIA) be integrated as a core component of federal EA processes, including 'cradle to grave' and cumulative multi-generational impacts.
• The document proposes that Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada be established as central decision-makers in the EA process.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2016). The Need for Health Impact Assessments to be Integrated into all Federal Environmental Assessment Processes. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/HIA-EA_final-1.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. The Need for Health Impact Assessments to be Integrated into all Federal Environmental Assessment Processes. 2016. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/HIA-EA_final-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=The Need for Health Impact Assessments to be Integrated into all Federal Environmental Assessment Processes |date=23 December 2016 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/HIA-EA_final-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2016need, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{The Need for Health Impact Assessments to be Integrated into all Federal Environmental Assessment Processes}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2016}, month = dec, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/HIA-EA_final-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }