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Seal River Watershed: The case for conservation
The Seal River Watershed in northern Manitoba is a 50,000 km2 area that is 99.97% intact and serves as one of Canada's largest free-flowing drainage basins. The report highlights its critical role in biodiversity, storing 1.7 billion tonnes of carbon and supporting species at risk such as polar bears and barren-ground caribou. Economically, the watershed provides at least CAD 214 million in annual ecosystem goods and services (EGS), including ecotourism and caribou harvesting, while the stored carbon is valued at CAD 314.5 billion. The document advocates for the creation of an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) led by the Sayisi Dene, Northlands Denesuline, Barren Lands First Nation, and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation to prevent threats from mining, hydroelectricity, and road development. It suggests the Manitoba government implement interim protections, establish a feasibility committee, and provide technical support for Indigenous Guardians programs.
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Document type: Report
Nous n’avons pas besoin du NORAD pour voir la vraie menace
The author contends that while geopolitical tensions highlight Arctic security, the most urgent threat to Northern Canada is climate change, which exacerbates existing infrastructure deficits. The text emphasizes that investing in adaptation and infrastructure—such as airports and ports—would benefit both local communities and national defense, while noting that current gaps in housing, food security, and water access leave Northern residents highly vulnerable.
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Document type: Statement
DUE NORTH: Facing the costs of climate change for Northern infrastructure
Northern Canada faces a double threat of inadequate existing infrastructure and a climate warming three times faster than the global average. Permafrost thaw is causing runways to warp, roads to collapse, and building foundations to crack. The report finds that while incremental adaptations like thermosyphons and embankment cooling can reduce costs, transformative adaptations—such as relocating infrastructure or leapfrogging to new technologies—are necessary for long-term resilience. The analysis highlights a significant 'infrastructure gap' rooted in colonial history, where many communities lack basic services like piped water and broadband internet, exacerbating the vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples.
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Document type: Report
THE IMPACTS OF PERMAFROST THAW ON NORTHERN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
The report documents how permafrost degradation affects Northern Indigenous communities in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut. It identifies critical impacts across five themes: hunting, trapping, and fishing; travel and access; food sovereignty; cultural continuity; and infrastructure. Key findings include the loss of traditional food storage (permafrost lockers), increased travel risks and costs due to slumping and boggy ground, and significant financial burdens on homeowners for building maintenance. The report argues that current policy is too technocentric and fails to account for the social and cultural dimensions of infrastructure and the cumulative effects of colonial history and climate change.
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Document type: Report
PLEIN NORD : faire face aux coûts des changements climatiques pour les infrastructures du Nord
The report highlights a 'double threat' in Northern Canada: inadequate existing infrastructure and a climate warming three times faster than the global average. Permafrost thaw is causing significant structural damage to runways, roads, and residential buildings, which threatens essential services like healthcare and food security. The authors argue that while incremental adaptation (e.g., thermosiphons) can delay costs, 'transformational adaptation'—repensuring how services are delivered and where infrastructure is located—is necessary to address systemic deficits rooted in colonial history. The report recommends federal funding restructuring, improved regional climate risk data, and updated building codes to ensure long-term resilience.
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Document type: Report
Leaving No Canadian Behind: Measuring the well-being of vulnerable Canadians for effective SDG implementation
The report argues that effective implementation of the SDGs in Canada requires a multi-tiered measurement approach that moves beyond national averages to identify and monitor vulnerable groups. It identifies key marginalized populations—including Indigenous Peoples, recent immigrants, and people with disabilities—and highlights the systemic data gaps that hinder targeted interventions. The authors advocate for the use of complementary community-driven data sources and investments in data interoperability, specifically through mission-oriented data ecosystems, to ensure that those 'furthest behind' are accurately captured and supported.
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Document type: Report
Costing Climate Change Impacts on Canada’s Infrastructure: Results for “Deep Dive” Statistical and Process-based Models Final Report
The report finds that inland flooding represents the highest annual cost of climate change for Canadian infrastructure, with mid-range estimates between $5 billion and $8 billion per year. Proactive adaptation can significantly reduce costs for roads, rail, and the electrical grid, though it is less effective for permafrost thaw and inland flooding. The analysis highlights that while total costs are often concentrated in high-population areas like Ontario, specific geographic risks such as permafrost thaw disproportionately affect the three territories.
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Document type: Report
International Best Practices: Estimating tax subsidies for fossil fuels in Canada
The report highlights a significant lack of transparency in Canada's reporting of fossil fuel subsidies, particularly regarding foregone revenue. It advocates for the use of the WTO definition of subsidies and the 'revenue foregone' method to accurately quantify tax expenditures and royalty subsidies, which the authors argue are essential for informed policy-making and meeting international climate goals.
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Document type: Report
11 WAYS TO MEASURE CLEAN GROWTH
The Canadian Climate Institute identifies 11 indicators to track clean growth, categorized into goals (low-carbon growth and economic resilience), catalysts (technology development, adoption, trade, and infrastructure), and foundations (jobs, affordable energy, inclusive resilience, clean air, and ecosystems). The analysis reveals that while Canada has decoupled GDP from GHGs, progress is uneven across provinces, and significant data gaps hinder comprehensive policy tracking.
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Document type: Report
1 Low Carbon Growth
The report analyzes the gap between Canada's GDP and GHG emissions, noting that while national decoupling has occurred, significant regional disparities exist. It highlights that Canada's economy remains more carbon-intensive than other developed nations and suggests three primary pathways for achieving low-carbon growth: reducing emissions intensity, reallocating resources, and accelerating the growth of low-carbon firms.
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Document type: Report
Tracer notre voie
The report outlines the physical and economic risks Canada faces due to climate change, such as sea-level rise and the global shift away from carbon-intensive exports. It proposes a holistic approach to climate policy that integrates health, well-being, and economic competitiveness, moving beyond narrow emission targets. The document highlights existing Canadian subnational innovations in carbon pricing and coal phase-out while recommending that governments expand the scope and ambition of their climate actions to ensure long-term prosperity.
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Document type: Report
Charting Our Course
The report outlines the dual threats of physical climate impacts and global economic transitions facing Canada. It proposes a comprehensive framework that integrates health, wellness, and economic prosperity, moving beyond siloed mitigation and adaptation strategies. The document highlights existing sub-national policy successes and recommends that Canadian governments broaden their climate objectives, increase policy ambition, and leverage international leadership to ensure a resilient future.
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Document type: Report
Submission to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Consultation on Non-Tax Fossil Fuel Subsidies
The IISD argues that Canada's current draft framework for assessing non-tax fossil fuel subsidies is too restrictive and lacks transparency. It recommends adopting the World Trade Organization (WTO) definition of subsidies, removing qualifiers like 'specificity' and 'normality', and aligning the 'inefficiency' criteria with Canada's Paris Agreement commitments. The document emphasizes the need for full public disclosure of subsidy data, coordination with Finance Canada on tax-related measures, and the inclusion of provincial and territorial jurisdictions to meet the G7's 2025 phase-out deadline.
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Document type: Report
The (Public) Cost of Pollution: Ontario’s fossil fuel subsidies
The report identifies that Ontario provided nearly CAD 700 million in public subsidies for fossil fuel consumption in 2018/19. These primarily consist of tax exemptions for aviation, railway, and agricultural fuels, as well as direct spending on natural gas infrastructure. The authors argue that these subsidies distort the market and hinder climate goals, recommending a transparent provincial self-review to identify more sustainable alternatives for energy affordability and industry competitiveness.
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Document type: Report
Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals
The report details Canada's greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2016, highlighting that while overall emissions grew nearly 17%, the oil and gas and transportation sectors were the primary drivers. It examines the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change and provides a detailed breakdown of emissions by province and territory, noting significant per capita disparities between jurisdictions like Alberta and Quebec.
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Document type: Report
Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals
The Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals, published by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), is a comprehensive guide designed to empower healthcare workers to act as educators and advocates. It details the science of anthropogenic climate change, the disproportionate health risks faced by vulnerable populations, and the specific regional vulnerabilities across Canada. The document emphasizes 'health co-benefits'—the immediate health improvements resulting from climate mitigation, such as reduced air pollution from phasing out coal and improved cardiovascular health through active transportation. It provides a framework for health care facilities to assess their own climate resiliency and reduce their carbon footprints, while offering strategies for health professionals to engage patients, peers, and policymakers in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
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Document type: Guide
Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals
The document details how climate change affects Canadian health through extreme heat, air pollution, UV radiation, and the spread of vector-borne and water-borne diseases. It emphasizes that marginalized populations, including Indigenous peoples and low-income individuals, face disproportionate risks. Regional analyses highlight specific threats such as melting permafrost in the North, hurricanes in Atlantic Canada, and increased drought in the Prairies.
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Document type: Guide
Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals
The document outlines adaptation strategies for various climate-related health risks in Canada, including extreme temperature events, flooding, wildfires, food insecurity, vector-borne diseases, and water quality issues. It provides specific examples of municipal actions—such as Toronto's green roof bylaws and Vancouver's warming centres—and offers actionable tips for health professionals to support vulnerable patients and advocate for resilient community policies.
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Document type: Guide
Boîte à outils sur les changements climatiques pour les professionnels de la santé
The document is a comprehensive guide for healthcare professionals to address climate change. It covers the science of climate change, its global and Canadian health impacts, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission trends in Canada, and practical solutions. It emphasizes 'co-benefits'—where climate actions like promoting plant-based diets or active transport immediately improve public health. The guide provides specific strategies for making healthcare facilities more resilient and sustainable, such as reducing the carbon footprint of anesthesia and supply chains, and offers a framework for community-level adaptation and professional advocacy.
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Document type: Guide
GETTING IT RIGHT IN A NEW OCEAN: BRINGING SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY PRINCIPLES TO THE ARCTIC REPORT 2018
The report examines the 'Blue Economy' of the Arctic, categorizing its resources into extractive, renewable, biological, connective, and experiential types. It highlights the immense investment potential—estimated up to US$1 trillion—and the accompanying risks of ecological collapse and social vulnerability. Through a SWOT analysis, the document identifies rapid climate change and a reliance on fossil fuel extraction as primary threats, while noting opportunities in the 'Blue Bio-Economy' and the potential to build sustainable infrastructure from the start. It concludes with six key recommendations for governments, investors, and Indigenous Peoples to ensure long-term ecosystem resilience and inclusive governance.
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Document type: Report