Call to Action on Climate Change and Health

A 2019 statement from Canadian health professionals urging federal political parties to treat climate change as a public health emergency. The document details the existing health impacts in Canada—such as respiratory issues from wildfires and food insecurity in the Arctic—and argues that aggressive climate action (including phasing out coal by 2030 and reducing oil, gas, and transport emissions) would yield significant healthcare savings and save lives.

• Health professionals in Canada identify climate change as the "greatest health threat of the 21st century" and view climate solutions as the "greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century". They argue that policies to combat climate change can provide immediate health benefits, lower healthcare costs, and enhance social equity.
• Climate change is already causing physical and mental health issues for Canadians. Specific impacts include cardiorespiratory problems from wildfire smoke, trauma and PTSD from evacuations, and food insecurity in the Canadian Arctic due to temperatures increasing by up to 3°C since the 1950s. Additionally, Lyme disease is expanding into new regions, and prolonged pollen seasons are exacerbating asthma and hay fever.
• Extreme weather events in 2018 demonstrated severe health and environmental impacts in Canada: Toronto saw 21 days above 30°C, Quebec recorded over 90 heat-related deaths, British Columbia declared a provincial state of emergency for nearly 600 wildfires, and Ontario's wildfire count rose to 1,312 from a 10-year average of 716.
• The economic cost of natural disasters in Canada has risen significantly, with insurance claims for floods and wildfires increasing from $400 million per year in previous decades to approximately $1 billion per year. Government funding for disaster damage rose from $100 million per year two decades ago to $2 billion per year in 2013-14.
• Canada is projected to miss its 2020 emissions target of 620 MT by 111 MT. The document emphasizes that to prevent global warming from reaching 2°C, global emissions must be cut by 45% by 2030 and reach zero by 2050.
• Climate solutions can lead to substantial healthcare savings in Canada. Fine particulate air pollution from fossil fuels causes 7,100 premature deaths and $53.5 billion in annual health costs. Furthermore, investments in public transit, cycling, walking, and plant-based diets could reduce rates of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, addressing chronic diseases that cost Canada approximately $200 billion per year.
• The document outlines specific policy demands for federal parties, including phasing out coal-fired power plants by 2030, reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector (which contributed 26% of emissions in 2016) and transportation sector (25% in 2016), and implementing a national food policy to support the Canada Food Guide.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2019). Call to Action on Climate Change and Health. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Press-Release-CC-Call-to-Action-Feb-5-updated-March-2019.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Call to Action on Climate Change and Health. 2019. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Press-Release-CC-Call-to-Action-Feb-5-updated-March-2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Call to Action on Climate Change and Health |date=5 February 2019 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Press-Release-CC-Call-to-Action-Feb-5-updated-March-2019.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2019call, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Call to Action on Climate Change and Health}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2019}, month = feb, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Press-Release-CC-Call-to-Action-Feb-5-updated-March-2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }