Climate Change Solutions with Immediate Health Benefits

The document outlines how climate mitigation strategies in Canada—such as phasing out coal, reducing building energy use, transitioning transportation, and shifting to plant-based diets—can simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve health outcomes by reducing air pollution and obesity.

• In Canada, the oil and gas (26%) and transportation (25%) sectors were the top emitters in 2016. Per capita emissions in 2016 averaged 20 tonnes of GHGs, with Alberta (69.5 t CO2eq) and Saskatchewan (64.6 t CO2eq) having the highest levels, while Quebec had the lowest at 9.5 t CO2eq.
• Air pollution from burning fossil fuels is estimated to cause 7,142 premature deaths annually in Canada, with associated welfare costs of $53.5 billion. Specific contributors include land-based transportation (1,063 deaths), the agricultural sector (1,282 deaths), and coal-fired power plants (345 deaths).
• Phasing out Canada's coal-fired power plants by 2030 and replacing two-thirds of that power with renewable energy could reduce GHGs by 31 Mt and create $5 billion in health benefits. A more rapid transition to 100% wind, water, and solar energy by 2050 could save USD$110 billion in annual health costs and prevent approximately 9,900 air pollution-related deaths.
• Canada provided an average of $3.3 billion per year in incentives or subsidies to the oil and gas industry between 2013 and 2015. The document notes that without global subsidies, 2013 global GHG emissions could have been 21% lower and deaths from fossil fuel-related air pollution 55% lower.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (n.d.). Climate Change Solutions with Immediate Health Benefits. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-5-Factsheet-updated-ready-to-upload.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Climate Change Solutions with Immediate Health Benefits. n.d. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-5-Factsheet-updated-ready-to-upload.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Climate Change Solutions with Immediate Health Benefits |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-5-Factsheet-updated-ready-to-upload.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironmentndclimate, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Climate Change Solutions with Immediate Health Benefits}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-5-Factsheet-updated-ready-to-upload.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }