The health costs of climate change in Canada

Climate change poses a significant threat to public health in Canada, with costs expected to increase as impacts intensify. Vulnerability is driven by social determinants—exposure, sensitivity, and capacity to adapt—meaning the impacts will not be felt equally across the population. Projected annual costs by the end of the century vary by emissions scenario, with heat-related productivity losses and deaths representing major financial burdens. Effective adaptation requires both treating immediate symptoms through emergency response and addressing root causes like economic inequity and food insecurity.

• Climate change health impacts in Canada are influenced by three primary factors: exposure to hazards, sensitivity (such as age and pre-existing conditions), and the capacity to adapt (such as income level and access to health services).
• Social context and determinants, including income, education, race, and working conditions, largely determine a person's vulnerability to climate change and their likelihood of experiencing poor health.
• Projected annual health costs by the end of the century vary significantly between emissions scenarios, with heat-related productivity losses being the highest cost: $87B in a low-emissions scenario and $246B in a high-emissions scenario.
• Other projected annual costs by the end of the century include heat-related deaths ($8.5B low-emissions; $14.9B high-emissions) and ground-level ozone illnesses ($0.5B low-emissions; $0.8B high-emissions).
• Effective adaptation must combine the treatment of symptoms, such as early warning systems and emergency response, with addressing root causes like reducing economic inequities and food and water insecurity.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (n.d.). The health costs of climate change in Canada. https://climatechoices.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ClimateChoices_Health-Costs_Infographic_June2021.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. The health costs of climate change in Canada. n.d. https://climatechoices.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ClimateChoices_Health-Costs_Infographic_June2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=The health costs of climate change in Canada |url=https://climatechoices.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ClimateChoices_Health-Costs_Infographic_June2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianclimateinstitutendhealth, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{The health costs of climate change in Canada}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, url = {https://climatechoices.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ClimateChoices_Health-Costs_Infographic_June2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }