QUESTION PERIOD — Environment and Climate Change
National Adaptation Strategy
September 27, 2023
Senator Gold, this year and for the first time, there will be a designated Health Day at COP 28 in recognition that climate change is the single most significant global health threat. The World Health Organization estimates that an additional 250,000 people will die each year because of climate change impacts such as rising temperatures, extreme weather events, air and water pollution, increased spread of diseases and food insecurity, not to mention the impact on mental health.
Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy recognizes the health impacts of climate change on individuals, as well as the capacity of health systems when flooding, extreme heat or wildfires negatively affect health facilities.
Two targets of the adaptation strategy for the health sector are, one, implementing evidence-based adaptation measures to protect health from extreme heat by 2026; and, two, identifying risks, developing adaptation plans and measuring progress regarding climate resilience in health systems by 2030.
Senator Gold, I realize the strategy is relatively new, but the challenge is urgent. Could you tell us what progress, if any, is being made toward meeting these targets?
Thank you, senator, for highlighting Canada’s first-ever National Adaptation Strategy. It was launched earlier this year, as you point out, and is designed to help communities across this country.
The strategy aims to transform the way governments, communities and individual Canadians work in partnership to prepare for and reduce risks of climate change through coordinated, ambitious action.
I understand, senator, that the targets to which you refer are to be attained in provincial health jurisdictions. Although the draft strategy was released for comment in November 2022 — prior to its official launch in June of 2023 — you might agree with me that there has been very little time in these short months to achieve a fruitful measure of progress. I’m sure that the federal government and the provincial jurisdictions will provide Canadians with progress updates in due course.
I’ll follow up with you in a few months on that. Thank you, Senator Gold.
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, or CAPE, states that climate change is worsening asthma, increasing deaths from heat waves, making allergy seasons longer and more severe, posing challenges to food security, hastening the spread of Lyme disease and increasing the potential for new pandemics.
Impacts are being felt first and worst in Canada’s Far North, and by women, children, racialized individuals and Indigenous peoples. CAPE also states that climate change affects mental health, leading to increased anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and/or ecological grief.
In their formal submission to the government on the National Adaptation Strategy — which we’re talking about — CAPE encouraged the government to consider the mental health benefits of involving the people impacted in those adaptation measures.
Senator Gold, could you explain if and how the participation of local people is being built into the adaptation plans?
Well, again, I’m not in a position to provide that information. I certainly will take the question to the attention of those responsible for working with the provinces in this regard, and I’m sure they will take it seriously.
