Health Collaborative Submission to the Federal/Provincial Climate Working Group on Specific Mitigating Opportunities: Electricity Sector

The Health Collaborative, representing 15 health organizations, argues that phasing out coal-fired electricity in Canada by 2025 is essential for mitigating climate change and reducing severe public health risks. The document highlights that while coal provided only 10.6% of Canada's electricity in 2014, it accounted for 72% of the sector's greenhouse gas emissions. It details the health benefits of coal closures, citing Ontario's experience where the phase-out led to significant reductions in sulphur dioxide and fine particulate matter, as well as a 23% decrease in air-pollution-related premature deaths in Toronto between 2000 and 2010. The submission also emphasizes the danger of mercury emissions from coal plants, which are linked to neurodevelopmental impacts in children. The authors recommend a complete phase-out by 2025, the development of renewable energy, and the implementation of energy efficiency programs.

• The Health Collaborative recommends that the Government of Canada completely phase out coal-fired power plants by 2025 at the latest to achieve emissions commitments and public health benefits.
• Coal-fired electricity is a disproportionate source of greenhouse gases in Canada; in 2014, it produced 72% of the electricity sector's emissions despite providing only 10.6% of the total electricity.
• The phase-out of coal power in Ontario resulted in significant air quality improvements between 2003 and 2012, including a nearly 50% decline in annual air levels of sulphur dioxide and a 25% decline in fine particulate matter.
• In Toronto, air quality improvements between 2000 and 2010, attributed partly to the coal phase-out, reduced air-pollution-related premature deaths by 23% (from 1,700 to 1,300 per year) and hospital admissions by 41% (from 6,000 to 3,550).
• Coal-fired power plants in Alberta are estimated to cause approximately 100 premature deaths annually from long-term exposure, with health impacts valued at $300 million per year.
• Coal-fired power plants are the primary source of mercury emissions in Canada, accounting for nearly 35% of national emissions in 2014, with significant concentrations in Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Alberta.
• The document identifies carbon-free alternatives to coal, including energy conservation, energy efficiency, wind turbines, and solar technologies, as readily available replacements.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2016). Health Collaborative Submission to the Federal/Provincial Climate Working Group on Specific Mitigating Opportunities: Electricity Sector. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Submission-Coal-Fed-Prov-Wkg-Grp-June-14-2016.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Health Collaborative Submission to the Federal/Provincial Climate Working Group on Specific Mitigating Opportunities: Electricity Sector. 2016. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Submission-Coal-Fed-Prov-Wkg-Grp-June-14-2016.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Health Collaborative Submission to the Federal/Provincial Climate Working Group on Specific Mitigating Opportunities: Electricity Sector |date=14 June 2016 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Submission-Coal-Fed-Prov-Wkg-Grp-June-14-2016.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2016health, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Health Collaborative Submission to the Federal/Provincial Climate Working Group on Specific Mitigating Opportunities: Electricity Sector}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Submission-Coal-Fed-Prov-Wkg-Grp-June-14-2016.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }