On December 12th, 2015, Canada signed the Paris Agreement and ratified it in parliament on October 5th, 2016. According to a statement on the Government of Canada website, the agreement outlines “the essential roles of subnational governments, cities, civil society, the private sector and financial institutions in responding to climate change.” Moreover, some key long-term goals stated in the document are mitigation and finance. However, the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Nurses Association, and the Canadian Public Health Association remain concerned about what they call “Canada’s climate-health crisis,” and its impact on public health and the economy.
“This new Agreement will strengthen the effort to limit the global average temperature rise to well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C,” reads the statement on the Government of Canada website.
Among other initiatives put in place by the agreement, are some long-term goals for Canada and others who signed the agreement.
These “long-term goals” seek to “foster climate resilience and lower greenhouse gas development, as well as to make climate flows consistent with a pathway toward a lower carbon future.”
According to the Government of Canada website, the adaptation of the Paris Agreement states:
“Adapting to current and future climate change impacts is recognized as a local, subnational, regional, international and global challenge. The Paris Agreement establishes a global goal of enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change with a view to contributing to sustainable development and ensuring an adequate adaptation response in the context of the temperature goal. Parties are invited to prepare and communicate adaptation plans and priorities to be recorded in a public registry. The Agreement also recognizes the need to enhance cooperation to address loss and damage associated with the adverse impacts of climate change through the strengthening of the existing Warsaw International Mechanism.”
But, the Canadian Government knows adapting these measures will be cost-prohibitive for some countries. The statement reads:
“Developed countries continue to have an obligation to provide financial resources to assist developing countries, and other Parties are encouraged to provide support on a voluntary basis. Parties agreed that scaled-up financing should aim to achieve a balance between mitigation and adaptation and that financing will continue to flow from a variety of sources. Developed countries will continue to take the lead in mobilizing climate finance, and Parties will set a new long-term finance goal by 2025 from the floor of US$ 100 billion per year, taking into account the needs and priorities of developing countries.”
Fast forward to November 1st, 2024, and the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Nurses Association, and the Canadian Public Health Association published a media advisory about what they are calling “Canada’s Climate Health Crisis: The Urgent Call for Action from Health Leaders,” along with a report from The Lancet authored by 122 researchers from 57 academic institutions and UN agencies.
“Despite the initial hope inspired by the 2015 Paris Agreement, the world is now dangerously close to breaching its target of limiting global multiyear mean heating to 1.5°C. Annual mean surface temperature reached a record high of 1.45°C above the pre-industrial baseline in 2023, and new temperature highs were recorded throughout 2024. The resulting climatic extremes are increasingly claiming lives and livelihoods worldwide,” The Lancet report states.
The report goes on to outline the data researchers observed.
“Data in this year’s report show that people all around the world are facing record-breaking threats to their well-being, health, and survival from the rapidly changing climate. Of the 15 indicators monitoring climate change-related health hazards, exposures, and impacts, ten reached concerning new records in their most recent year of data,” states the report from The Lancet.
As well as exposing the inadequate adaptations of the Paris Agreement, The Lancet‘s report suggests CO2 emissions are a far cry from the goal of declining CO2 emissions.
“Far from declining, global energy-related CO2 emissions reached an all-time high in 2023,” states the report. Adding, “Although renewable energy could provide power to remote locations, its adoption is lagging, particularly in the most vulnerable countries. The consequences of this delay reflect the human impacts on an unjust transition.”
The report acknowledges the transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions will be costly. But, it also states the economic benefits from this transition will outweigh the cost of inaction.
“With the availability of financial resources a key barrier to tackling climate change, a rapid growth in predictable and equitable investment is urgently needed to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change.”
Moreover, the report suggests a healthy population will ultimately help the economy.
“Healthier, more resilient populations will further support more prosperous and sustainable economies.”
Furthermore, Canadian health leaders share the concerns outlined by The Lancet.
“The climate crisis is a health crisis. Every heatwave, flood, and wildfire is a reminder that our health systems need to be climate-resilient—and right now, they aren’t even close,” said Dr. Joss Reimer, President of the Canadian Medical Association.
“Health professionals must become the voice of climate action, standing against misinformation and pushing for a future where planetary health and sustainability go hand in hand,” said Valerie Grdisa, President of the Canadian Nurses Association.
“When red meat accounts for 33% of emissions in a hospital but only 3% of its menu, the irony is stark. A shift toward plant-based diets is no longer just about personal health; it’s a national imperative for planetary health and climate survival,” said Ian Culbert, Executive Director of the Canadian Public Health Association.
