Search Climate Insights Directory
108 results
Lost Winter in Canada
The report finds that climate change is significantly increasing the number of 'lost winter days' (days above freezing) across Canada, with some regions seeing an additional week of such days annually. The analysis highlights specific impacts in provinces like Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, and major cities including Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, noting consequences for snow accumulation, ice coverage, and winter industries.
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Document type: Report
We must all step up to our role in reconciliation
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) asserts that reconciliation is a collective national responsibility, emphasizing that environmental and health outcomes depend on justice for Indigenous and racialized people. CAPE is implementing this through internal decolonization, the launch of an Indigenous Caucus on October 1st, and partnerships like the Place-Based Power Project, which addresses health and climate impacts from fossil fuel extraction in Northern BC, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories. The organization also advocated for Bill C-226 and updates to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) to recognize the right to a healthy environment and address disproportionate exposures on Indigenous lands.
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Document type: Statement
Manitoba Builds Green
The report argues that Manitoba requires a massive, publicly led effort to implement deep energy retrofits (DERs)—defined as improvements reducing energy use by at least 50%—to meet 2050 net-zero targets. It estimates that 200,000 home retrofits are needed, requiring an annual investment of CAD 1.2 billion. The authors propose the creation of a Manitoba Green Bank to provide low- or no-interest financing and the adoption of a retrofit code by 2025. The strategy emphasizes a 'just transition' by prioritizing low-income renters and utilizing social enterprises to train underrepresented groups, including women and Indigenous Peoples, for the thousands of green jobs expected to be created.
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Document type: Report
Israel-Hamas conflict animates the reincarnated Canadian Jewish Defense League
The briefing examines the resurgence of the Canadian Jewish Defense League (JDL) through its rebranded entity, Israel Now. It details how the group uses social media, specifically the 'Never Again Live' platform, to target pro-Palestinian activists through doxxing and harassment. The document highlights the group's promotion of Jewish militancy, including firearms training, and its alignment with far-right, Islamophobic, and anti-immigrant rhetoric. It further notes the group's historical and contemporary links to violent extremist organizations and individuals, arguing that the Israel-Hamas conflict has provided an opportunity for the group to gain publicity and build coalitions.
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Document type: Briefing
Environmentally, My Dear Watson: Exploring Effective Contemporary Grassroots Environmental Advocacy In Contemporary Social, Spatial, Economic, and Political Relationships
The document examines the 'third sector' in Canada, noting a lack of research on how nonprofits and charities facilitate climate action. It argues that neoliberal decentralisation has shifted social welfare responsibilities to these organisations without providing sufficient autonomy or resources. The author finds that rigid, quantitative funding requirements often lead to 'mission drift' and fail to capture qualitative social impacts. The paper calls for more adaptable grant requirements, increased collaboration between governments and funders, and greater transparency regarding regulatory and tax implications to ensure the sustainability of climate-focused grassroots advocacy.
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Document type: Research paper
The Potential for Superhot Rock Energy in North America
The document explores the potential of superhot rock energy in North America, estimating that 13% of the land area has potential at depths below 12.5 km. It argues that this resource could provide massive amounts of carbon-free electricity, leverage existing oil and gas expertise, and require significantly less land than other energy sources, with mature costs potentially as low as $25-40 per MWh.
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Document type: Case study
Heat pumps pay off: Unlocking lower-cost heating and cooling in Canada
The document details the technical framework of the HEAT™ model used to assess the economics of heat pump adoption in Canada. It specifies the building archetypes, equipment configurations, and future-shifted climate data for Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Montréal, and Halifax. The report outlines the financial inputs, including energy price forecasts, carbon pricing based on the federal backstop, and a comprehensive list of federal, provincial, and municipal incentives available at the time of analysis.
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Document type: Report
Unlocking lower-cost heating and cooling in Canada
The report finds that heat pumps are the lowest-cost heating and cooling option for most Canadian households over the system's lifetime, though adoption is hindered by high upfront costs, information gaps, and structural barriers for renters. It recommends streamlining rebates, establishing one-stop shop services, and updating building codes to include cooling requirements.
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Document type: Report
Chauffer et climatiser à faibles coûts au Canada
The report finds that heat pumps are the most economical heating and cooling option for the majority of Canadian households over their system life cycle, particularly in cities like Vancouver, Montreal, and Halifax. Despite this economic advantage, adoption remains low due to behavioral, economic, and structural barriers, including high initial costs, lack of consumer confidence, and complex government rebate programs. The document argues that heat pumps are critical for both decarbonizing residential buildings and increasing resilience against extreme heat, which has caused significant mortality in regions like British Columbia. It recommends that governments maintain financial supports, simplify application processes through 'one-stop shops', implement indoor maximum temperature limits in building codes, and mandate high-efficiency, non-polluting systems in new constructions where electrically-powered heating is most cost-effective.
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Document type: Report
Climate change more than doubled the likelihood of extreme fire weather conditions in eastern Canada
The research finds that human-induced climate change significantly increased the intensity and probability of extreme fire weather in eastern Canada in 2023, particularly in Québec, where the cumulative severity of the fire season was approximately 50% more intense and at least seven times more likely to occur.
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Document type: Research paper
Climate damages inflating costs of living for every Canadian
Climate change is increasing the average Canadian household's annual cost of living by $700 through higher grocery prices, insurance premiums, and taxes. Between 2010 and 2019, insured losses for catastrophic weather events exceeded $18 billion, with the frequency of such events tripling since the 1980s. The author contends that while Canada's National Adaptation Strategy is a start, the country lags behind peer nations in adaptation funding despite a high return on investment, where every dollar spent generates $13-$15 in economic returns. Specifically, using climate-resilient road materials could save up to $5 billion nationally over several decades by reducing damage costs by up to 98 per cent.
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Document type: Statement
Formal Submission to the Government of Canada National Adaptation Strategy Public Engagement Process
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) submitted recommendations for Canada's National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) in July 2022. The submission argues that the NAS must explicitly address the intersection of climate change and both physical and mental health, noting that physicians are already observing increased asthma and anxiety linked to wildfires and extreme heat. CAPE highlights that extreme heat disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including those in poverty, racialized communities, and older individuals. The organization calls for the NAS to include specific outcomes and targets, protect nature for its own sake, and prioritize natural infrastructure—such as urban tree canopies—to mitigate heat and improve public health. Additionally, CAPE emphasizes the need to harden health infrastructure to ensure hospitals remain functional and serve as community safe havens during extreme weather events.
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Document type: Statement
The Bagidawaad Alliance
The document details the transition of Natasha and Andrew Akiwenzie from operating a commercial fishery in Neyaashiinigmiing, Ontario, to establishing the Bagida’waad Alliance after climate-driven changes made fishing unsustainable. It highlights the environmental pressures faced by the fishery, the organization's current initiatives in youth education and stewardship, and provides a comprehensive set of policy recommendations across multiple levels of government to support Indigenous-led climate action.
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Document type: Case study
l'alliance Bagidawaad
The document details the transition of Natasha and Andrew Akiwenzie from operating a commercial fishery to establishing the Bagida’waad Alliance, a non-profit focused on climate awareness and Indigenous stewardship. It describes how increasing storm intensity, warming waters, and invasive species led to the decline of the lake cisco (corégone) and the eventual closure of their business in 2018. The Bagida’waad Alliance now engages youth through filmmaking, digital media, and land-based learning, while advocating for the integration of Indigenous knowledge into federal and provincial climate policies.
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Document type: Case study
Electrifying Heating in Commercial and Institutional Buildings
The report identifies that reaching Canada's 2050 net-zero target requires the electricity share of C&I building heating to rise from less than 15% to at least 75%. It highlights barriers such as cheap natural gas, knowledge gaps in the HVAC workforce, and financing constraints. To address these, the authors propose five catalysts: developing near-term electrification plans, integrating electricity and natural gas regulation, aligning utility planning with net-zero pathways, implementing building performance standards, and leveraging public-private financing to crowd in private investment.
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Document type: Report
Électrifier le chauffage des bâtiments commerciaux et institutionnels
The report identifies that Canada must increase the share of electricity in commercial and institutional building heating from less than 15% to at least 75% by 2050 to reach net-zero goals. It highlights three primary obstacles: the low cost of natural gas, a lack of internal planning capacity and a 'business-as-usual' bias among technical experts, and significant capital constraints for building owners. To address these, the report proposes five catalysts: short-term electrification plans for businesses, integrating net-zero mandates into utility and regulatory frameworks, aligning utility planning with net-zero trajectories to ensure clean energy supply, establishing building performance standards, and developing innovative public-private financing models. Examples of progress include the bi-energy strategy in Quebec and performance standards in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal.
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Document type: Report
Canada’s Electrification Advantage in the Race to Net-Zero
The report argues that while Canada has a clean electricity advantage, it faces a significant risk of complacency. It identifies three cross-cutting barriers: a 'plug-or-socket' dilemma between supply and demand, policy uncertainty, and a focus on 'wild card' technologies over 'safe bets' like electrification. To overcome these, the report proposes five catalysts: business-led near-term electrification plans, net-zero mandates for utilities and regulators, alignment of utility planning with net-zero pathways, the implementation of performance standards and ZEV mandates, and the use of innovative public-private-Indigenous financing to crowd in private investment.
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Document type: Report
L’électrification comme avantage du Canada dans la course vers la carboneutralité : cinq catalyseurs pour accélérer l’électrification des entreprises
The document outlines a strategic framework for Canada to accelerate business electrification to reach net-zero by 2050. It identifies key barriers, such as the 'chicken-and-egg' dilemma between electricity supply and demand, and proposes five catalysts: short-term corporate action plans, integrating net-zero into utility mandates, aligning utility planning with net-zero trajectories, establishing clear performance standards and carbon pricing, and attracting private investment through innovative partnerships.
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Document type: Report
Mobiliser les preuves ACTIVER LE CHANGEMENT SUR LES IMPACTS SANITAIRES DE LA POLLUTION ATMOSPHÉRIQUE LIÉE AU TRAFIC (PALT)
The report synthesizes scientific evidence on the wide-ranging health impacts of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), emphasizing its disproportionate effect on marginalized populations and its role in exacerbating COVID-19. It advocates for decisive policy, legislative, and regulatory interventions to reduce emissions and protect public health.
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Document type: Report
Lessons from the pandemic: environmental health requires government action
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) asserts that the government must shift from risk management to a hazard prevention paradigm to protect public health. Key recommendations include eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, reforming the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), implementing a just transition for workers and Indigenous peoples, and adopting a planetary health lens to integrate climate adaptation and mitigation.
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Document type: Statement