Recommendations from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment for Amendments to Bill C-12, the Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) recommends amending Bill C-12 to include a 2025 emissions target, establish a truly independent scientific advisory body reporting to Parliament, and ensure explicit alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). CAPE frames climate change as a critical health threat, noting that Canada is the only G7 country whose emissions have risen since the 2016 Paris Agreement.

• CAPE identifies three essential amendments for Bill C-12 to succeed in holding governments accountable: the inclusion of a 2025 emissions target, the creation of an independent body of scientific experts with their own secretariat and modelling capabilities reporting to Parliament rather than the Minister of the Environment, and explicit alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
• The document argues that a 2025 target is necessary to create the urgency required to make immediate changes and investments needed to meet the 2030 target and future goals, asserting that reporting requirements under the Paris agreement are not a sufficient substitute.
• CAPE contends that the proposed Net-Zero Advisory Body in Bill C-12 lacks the necessary independence, budget, and mandate to hold the government accountable, recommending it be restructured to report to Parliament and possess the analytical capacity to assess climate policy and risk.
• Climate change is presented as a severe health crisis in Canada, contributing to increased deaths from heat waves, worsening asthma, wildfire evacuations, and the spread of Lyme Disease, with disproportionate impacts on Indigenous peoples, women, children, and racialized individuals.
• The document notes that Canada has failed to meet every international climate target it has set and is the only G7 nation to see emissions rise since the 2016 Paris Agreement.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (n.d.). Recommendations from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment for Amendments to Bill C-12, the Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-C-12-briefing-note-EN-final.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Recommendations from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment for Amendments to Bill C-12, the Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. n.d. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-C-12-briefing-note-EN-final.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Recommendations from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment for Amendments to Bill C-12, the Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-C-12-briefing-note-EN-final.pdf#new_tab |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironmentndrecommendations, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Recommendations from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment for Amendments to Bill C-12, the Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-C-12-briefing-note-EN-final.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }