Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals

The report argues that transitioning away from fossil fuels through carbon pricing, energy efficiency, active transportation, and plant-based diets can simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health outcomes. It highlights that in Canada, air pollution from fossil fuels causes 14,400 premature deaths annually, and that shifting to low-carbon energy and urban design can significantly reduce chronic diseases and healthcare costs.

• Air pollution in Canada is estimated to cause 14,400 premature deaths every year, with 7,142 of those deaths specifically attributed to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from burning fossil fuels.
• The oil and gas sector and the transportation sector are the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, accounting for 26% and 25% of total emissions respectively in 2018.
• Phasing out coal-fired power plants in Canada by 2030, and replacing them with two-thirds renewables and one-third gas-power, could create $5 billion in additional health benefits and reduce GHG emissions by 31 Mt CO2eq.
• Energy efficiency investments in Canada could lead to a 30% decrease in GHG emissions by 2050 compared to 2016 levels, with over 90% of the avoided energy demand coming from reduced oil and gas use.
• Improving urban design to promote active travel (walking and cycling) and higher density can significantly lower emissions; for example, a walkable neighbourhood in Toronto's West Don Lands could reduce vehicle GHG emissions by 60% compared to a low-density area.
• Shifting global diets toward plant-derived foods and reducing food waste could reduce global mortality by 6 to 10% and food-related GHG emissions by 29 to 70% by 2050.
• Carbon pricing is presented as an essential tool for transitioning to a low-carbon economy, with evidence from British Columbia showing a 5-15% reduction in GHG emissions without negative impacts on economic growth.
• Urban green spaces provide significant health and environmental value; in Toronto, the health benefit of having 10 additional street trees in a neighbourhood is equivalent to an extra $10,000 in annual income.

APA

Macfarlane, R., & Perrotta, K. (2019). Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-5-Ready-to-upload-SOLO-UDATED.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Macfarlane, Ronald, and Kim Perrotta. Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2019. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-5-Ready-to-upload-SOLO-UDATED.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Macfarlane |first1=Ronald |last2=Perrotta |first2=Kim |title=Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=April 2019 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-5-Ready-to-upload-SOLO-UDATED.pdf#new_tab |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{macfarlane2019climate, author = {Macfarlane, Ronald and Perrotta, Kim}, title = {{Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2019}, month = apr, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-5-Ready-to-upload-SOLO-UDATED.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }