Health leaders call for urgent federal action to strengthen Canada’s health resilience to climate change
Canada’s leading health organizations are calling on the federal government to take immediate, coordinated action to protect health in the face of intensifying climate impacts.
In a new policy brief, 2025 Climate and Health Policy Priorities for Canada, the Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Nurses Association, and Canadian Public Health Association—in partnership with the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change—outline three urgent federal priorities:
- Fund and fully implement Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy to build health system resilience and equity;
- Apply mandatory climate-resilience and low-carbon standards to the Affordable Housing Fund; and
- Strengthen and enforce federal methane regulations to reduce pollution and protect respiratory health.
Extreme heat, wildfires and wildfire smoke, floods, and droughts are straining emergency departments, displacing communities, and disrupting health services nationwide. Without sustained investment in adaptation and prevention, the human and economic costs will continue to rise.
The brief highlights practical opportunities for the federal government to reduce these risks and deliver near-term health gains. By funding equitable adaptation through the National Adaptation Strategy, ensuring all federally funded housing meets climate-resilient and low-carbon design standards, and tightening methane regulations in the oil and gas sector, Canada can protect communities, lower emissions, and strengthen its health systems for the future.
Health professionals across the country are witnessing the effects of climate change firsthand—through rising rates of heat-related illness, respiratory distress linked to wildfire smoke, and increasing disruptions to care delivery. The organizations stress that shifting from reaction to prevention requires embedding health in every climate policy, ensuring that climate adaptation and mitigation efforts also improve equity, affordability, and system readiness.
Together, these measures would reduce disease and premature death, enhance community preparedness, and safeguard Canada’s health systems for future generations.
The full brief, 2025 Climate and Health Policy Priorities for Canada, is available at https://www.cpha.ca/lancet-2025.
QUOTES
“The human health impacts of the climate crisis mean a greater burden on our health system at a time when so many Canadians don't have access to care. By investing in solutions that will ease health issues caused by climate change and fortifying our health system, we can adapt and keep more Canadians healthy.”
Dr. Margot Burnell, President, Canadian Medical Association
“Climate change is a health emergency, and nurses are among the first to respond when extreme heat, smoke, or flooding puts lives at risk. We can no longer afford piecemeal responses. The federal government must act now to fund and implement Canada’s national adaptation strategy to build health system resilience and strengthen federal regulations to reduce pollution before climate-related health crises become the new normal.”
Dr. Kimberly LeBlanc, President, Canadian Nurses Association
“Public health professionals are on the front lines of the climate crisis, from wildfire smoke to extreme heat. But they can’t build resilience on shoestring budgets. Canada must invest now to protect communities, strengthen preparedness, and ensure our health systems can withstand what’s coming.”
Ian Culbert, Executive Director, Canadian Public Health Association
BACKGROUND
The 2025 Climate and Health Policy Priorities for Canada brief draws on data from the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change 2025 Report and identifies practical, evidence-based measures for governments to strengthen public health protection while advancing Canada’s climate commitments.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Canadian Medical Association – mediainquiries@cma.ca
Canadian Nurses Association – media@cna-aiic.ca
Canadian Public Health Association – communications@cpha.ca