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The document analyzes the landscape of emissions trading schemes (ETS) in North America, noting that while regional initiatives like the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) and Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) are advanced, national efforts in the US and Canada face coordination challenges. It argues that linking is logical due to economic ties, but current designs—particularly Canada's intensity-based targets—create barriers to bilateral links with absolute-cap schemes. The author concludes that a US federal scheme would likely preempt most state schemes, while Canada may use equivalency agreements to allow provincial schemes to persist.

In a statement to the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, World Resources Institute President Jonathan Lash advocates for immediate national climate legislation. He cites accelerating climate impacts, such as record Arctic sea ice loss and pine beetle outbreaks in British Columbia, as evidence of the need for urgent action. The statement proposes an economy-wide, market-driven cap-and-trade program combined with investments in energy efficiency, grid modernization, and carbon capture to stimulate economic growth and ensure technological competitiveness.

The document details how rising temperatures in the Northwest are reducing springtime snowpack and shifting streamflow timing, which threatens water supplies, hydropower production, and salmon populations. It also highlights risks of increased forest fires, pest infestations, and coastal erosion due to sea-level rise, particularly in the Puget Sound region.

The document requests that the International Joint Commission (IJC) evaluate the continued applicability of its 1988 recommendations against the proposed Lodgepole coal mine in the Flathead River Basin. The signatories argue that the new proposal by Cline Mining Corporation poses similar or greater risks to transboundary water quality and fish populations—specifically bull trout—than the Sage Creek mine analyzed in 1988, while noting a persistent lack of baseline environmental data.

The document details the conservation values of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and the surrounding Crown of the Continent ecosystem, specifically the transboundary Flathead River basin. It assesses the risks associated with two primary industrial threats: coalbed methane (CBM) extraction, exemplified by BP Canada's Mist Mountain Project, and open-pit coal mining, specifically the Lodgepole Coal Mine proposed by Cline Mining Corp. The paper argues that these activities would cause severe, irreversible damage to water quality, critical fish spawning habitats for bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout, and migratory corridors for rare carnivores like grizzly bears and wolverines. It emphasizes a critical lack of baseline environmental data and highlights the cumulative stress from other external threats such as highway expansion and logging.

The document examines how international investment agreements (IIAs), particularly bilateral investment treaties (BITs), can undermine domestic public policy and state sovereignty by allowing foreign investors to bypass national courts through international arbitration. It highlights cases in South Africa, the US, and Canada where environmental, social, and human rights policies were challenged. The guide argues for stronger parliamentary scrutiny of these treaties to ensure they do not conflict with constitutional obligations or human rights.

The document argues that shipping emissions are increasing at an alarming rate and that current IMO policies, such as voluntary indexing, are ineffective. It highlights the contribution of CO2, nitrogen oxides, and black carbon to climate change and Arctic melting, while warning that IMO inaction is prompting unilateral measures in the EU and US states like California and Washington. FOEI requests the IMO implement mandatory speed reductions, weather routing, and fuel economy standards, while insisting that these efforts remain separate from MARPOL Annex VI revisions regarding toxic air pollutants.

The document highlights several green building projects that achieved significant energy savings and financial gains. Examples include the Sydney 2000 Olympic Village with its large-scale integrated photovoltaics, Village Homes in California which reduced household bills by one-half to one-third, and the Condé-Nast Building in New York, the first large-scale speculative green office building in the US. These projects demonstrate that sustainable design—such as passive heating/cooling, ground-source heat pumps, and efficient land use—can lead to higher property values, lower operating costs, and increased market demand.

The research develops a two-step econometric model to determine the demand for energy services (space heating, water heating, and appliances/lighting) for 440 Canadian households. By using deterministic frontier analysis to estimate the efficiency of furnaces and water heaters, the authors find that low-income households are significantly more responsive to price and income changes than higher-income households. The study confirms a 'rebound effect' where increased efficiency leads to higher energy service demand. These findings are used to argue for targeted subsidies, such as funding for efficient furnaces, to help low-income groups cope with energy price increases driven by climate change policies. The authors also discuss the potential application of this methodology to the Indian energy sector.

The research develops MARKAL-Equity to assess how different income terciles in Canada respond to the energy price increases associated with meeting Kyoto targets. Findings indicate that low-income households are the most vulnerable, experiencing the greatest reductions in energy service demand and consumption, and lacking the financial capacity to switch to more efficient technologies compared to middle- and high-income groups.

The document frames climate change as the "biggest global health threat of the 21st century," noting that it has caused over 140,000 deaths per year since the 1970s. It asserts that meeting the 2°C global temperature limit requires consuming no more than one-third of proven fossil fuel reserves by 2050. The text advocates for a substantial carbon price, citing British Columbia's carbon tax as a successful model, and suggests that pricing should eventually reach $100-$200 per tonne of CO2 equivalent. It highlights health co-benefits of low-carbon transitions, such as reduced cardiovascular disease from 'cardio-commuting' and fewer respiratory impacts from wind, solar, and hydro power compared to coal. Finally, it urges physicians to use their professional influence to translate climate science for the public and advocate for systemic changes.

The report analyzes the regulatory landscape of aesthetic pesticides in Canada, noting that while over 200 municipal bylaws have been adopted since the 2001 Supreme Court decision in Hudson v. Spraytech, effectiveness varies by scope and enforcement. It highlights that 'white lists' of safe products and broad bans covering all landscaping elements are more effective than narrow bans limited to lawns. Evidence from Ontario and Toronto shows significant reductions in pesticide presence in water and usage (up to 83% and 57% respectively) following bans. The document recommends removing exceptions for golf courses, implementing permit systems, and combining legal mechanisms with public awareness and enforcement.

The Advocacy and Mobilization Program (AMP) trained 130 healthcare professionals across three cohorts to engage in planetary health advocacy. Key successes included significant increases in participant confidence, storytelling skills, and the effectiveness of 'Hill Day' meetings with federal politicians. However, the program faced staffing challenges and found that a six-month commitment was often too resource-intensive for busy professionals, suggesting a shift toward shorter, more targeted training formats in the future.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) is calling for a ban on fossil fuel advertising, comparing the industry's deceptive marketing to that of Big Tobacco. The briefing details how fossil fuel emissions cause tens of thousands of premature deaths in Canada, contribute to childhood asthma, and exacerbate climate-related health crises like extreme heat and wildfires. It specifically accuses the Pathways Alliance of misleading the public about emissions and net-zero goals, noting that actual oil sands emissions may be 64 times higher than reported. CAPE advocates for a regulatory framework similar to those implemented in France, Norway, and the EU to protect public health and accelerate the energy transition.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment calls for British Columbia to update its Building Code and Energy Step Code to prohibit new gas connections by 2022 and set deadlines for existing buildings to switch to clean energy. The briefing highlights that buildings cause 12% of the province's greenhouse gas emissions and that natural gas use contributes to health risks, including childhood asthma from indoor nitrogen dioxide and lung disease linked to hydraulic fracturing in the Peace region. It notes that retrofitting a home from gas to electric currently costs over $20,000, making the 'future-proofing' of new buildings a cost-effective necessity to meet the province's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Green Offices Toolkit offers a comprehensive framework for Canadian health care providers to implement sustainable office practices. It outlines a phased approach to 'greening' a clinic, starting with the establishment of a 'Green Team' and the definition of a vision and mission. The document provides specific technical advice on reducing energy and water consumption, managing toxic substances like mercury and pharmaceuticals, and minimizing waste through recycling and composting. It also emphasizes the role of physicians as community leaders who can influence patient health and environmental behavior through education and by modeling sustainable lifestyles.

The document argues that the LNG and fracking industries in British Columbia increase healthcare costs by exacerbating climate change, causing local health issues, and contributing to physician shortages in regions like Dawson Creek. It calls for a moratorium on new fracking, stricter pollution regulations, and a phase-out of natural gas in buildings by 2025.

A group of doctors and nurses issued a health advisory to the British Columbia government, warning that the expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) poses severe risks to public health. They highlight the acceleration of climate change via methane leaks, air pollution causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, water depletion and contamination, and adverse community impacts including mental health issues and human rights violations against Indigenous peoples. The advisory calls for a moratorium on new fracking, stricter pollution regulations, an end to natural gas tie-ins in buildings by 2023, and support for workers and Indigenous communities transitioning to a clean-energy economy.

The document outlines how climate change increases health risks in Canada, including heat-related illness, respiratory diseases, and mental health issues, while detailing specific regional threats from the North to British Columbia.

The document outlines how health professionals can act as trusted messengers to educate the public on climate-related health risks, engage peers through academic and professional channels, and influence policy-makers. It emphasizes focusing on climate policies that offer immediate health co-benefits and healthcare savings, while encouraging institutional changes such as fossil fuel divestment in universities and professional associations. The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) supports these efforts through regional volunteer committees in British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario.