LES COÛTS DES CHANGEMENTS CLIMATIQUES POUR LA SANTÉ

Climate change is projected to significantly increase health costs and mortality in Canada, with tropospheric ozone and heatwaves posing the most substantial financial and human burdens. The report highlights that these impacts will disproportionately affect vulnerable populations due to systemic inequalities like poverty and racism. It warns that Canada's health systems are currently under-prepared, with minimal federal funding dedicated to health adaptation since 2017. The document recommends a dual approach to adaptation: treating immediate symptoms (e.g., emergency alerts) and addressing root causes of vulnerability (e.g., food and water insecurity).

• Tropospheric ozone concentrations are projected to increase by 22 percent during the summer by the end of the century. Without intervention, the costs of care for ozone exposure could reach one-quarter of current cancer care spending, with total costs for loss of life and quality of life estimated at 86 billion dollars annually by 2050 and 250 billion dollars annually by 2100.
• Heatwaves are increasing in frequency and intensity; in Ontario and Manitoba, the number of days exceeding safe temperature thresholds is expected to increase by 1.5 times by the 2050s compared to the 1971-2000 average. Heat-related hospitalization rates are projected to rise by 21 percent by 2050 and double by 2100, with annual costs for loss of life and quality of life reaching between 3.0 and 3.9 billion dollars by the end of the century.
• Climate change is expected to severely impact labor productivity, particularly in outdoor or non-air-conditioned sectors. Under a high-emissions scenario, this could result in the loss of 128 million work hours per year by the end of the century, equivalent to approximately 62,000 full-time jobs and nearly 15 billion dollars.
• Lyme disease is spreading across Canada as climate change creates ideal conditions for ticks. Under a moderate emissions scenario, annual new cases are projected to rise to approximately 8,500 by mid-century and 9,900 by the end of the century, up from about 600 cases currently. Annual costs are estimated at 3 million dollars by mid-century.
• Mental health impacts may be among the most costly consequences of climate change for Canada. The document notes that current productivity losses due to depression and anxiety are already 34 billion and 17 billion dollars annually, respectively, and climate-driven disasters and ecosystem changes will likely increase these costs.
• Indigenous populations face severe non-quantifiable losses, including food insecurity that is 3 to 5 times the national average. In the North, permafrost thaw and changing snow/ice conditions threaten drinking water, traditional hunting and harvesting, and access to emergency medical services.
• Canada's health infrastructure is physically vulnerable to climate change, with approximately 8 percent of health centers located in flood-risk zones. Furthermore, fewer than 20 percent of health authorities have assessed their vulnerability to climate change.
• Federal funding for health adaptation has been insufficient; since 2017, only 71 million dollars have been allocated to health adaptation programs, representing about 3 percent of total climate adaptation funds and 0.3 percent of total climate reaction funding.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (n.d.). LES COÛTS DES CHANGEMENTS CLIMATIQUES POUR LA SANTÉ. https://choixclimatiques.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ChoixClimat_Cou%CC%82tsSante%CC%81_Sommaire_Juin2021.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. LES COÛTS DES CHANGEMENTS CLIMATIQUES POUR LA SANTÉ. n.d. https://choixclimatiques.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ChoixClimat_Cou%CC%82tsSante%CC%81_Sommaire_Juin2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=LES COÛTS DES CHANGEMENTS CLIMATIQUES POUR LA SANTÉ |url=https://choixclimatiques.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ChoixClimat_Cou%CC%82tsSante%CC%81_Sommaire_Juin2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianclimateinstitutendles, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{LES COÛTS DES CHANGEMENTS CLIMATIQUES POUR LA SANTÉ}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, url = {https://choixclimatiques.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ChoixClimat_Cou%CC%82tsSante%CC%81_Sommaire_Juin2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }