Climate Change Solutions with Immediate Health Benefits

This fact sheet from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment outlines how transitioning to a low-carbon economy in Canada can provide immediate health benefits. It argues that current government commitments are insufficient to meet Paris Agreement targets and advocates for a shift toward renewable energy, plant-based diets, and active transportation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health outcomes.

• In Canada, the oil and gas sector (26% of total emissions) and transportation (25%) were the top emitting sectors in 2016. Transportation was the primary contributor in eight provinces/territories, while oil and gas were the greatest contributors in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
• 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 coal-fired power plants (345 deaths), coal-related industries (105 deaths), non-coal industries (2,762 deaths), land-based transportation (1,063 deaths), and the agricultural sector (1,282 deaths).
• Phasing out Canada's coal-fired power plants by 2030, with two-thirds of that power replaced by renewable energy, could create $5 billion in air pollution-related health benefits and reduce GHGs by 31 Mt. A more rapid transition to 80% wind, water, and solar by 2030 and 100% by 2050 could save USD$110 billion in annual health costs by 2050 and prevent approximately 9,900 air pollution-related deaths in Canada.
• Canada provided an average of $3.3 billion per year between 2013 and 2015 to the oil and gas industry through incentives or subsidies for production, field development, extraction, and exploration. The document notes that global GHG emissions in 2013 could have been 21% lower and deaths from fossil fuel-related air pollution 55% lower without such subsidies.
• Per capita GHG emissions in Canada averaged 20 tonnes (20 t CO2eq) in 2016. Quebec had the lowest emissions at 9.5 t CO2eq, while Saskatchewan and Alberta had the highest at 69.5 and 64.6 t CO2eq respectively, reflecting the impact of the fossil fuel industry in those provinces.

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} }