Question Period Note: Climate Change

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KEY MESSAGES
· Climate change and extreme weather events like floods, wildfires, and extreme heat are negatively affecting the health and wellbeing of people in Canada and our health system.
· The Government of Canada is committed to protecting people in Canada from climate change and has invested more than $6.6 billion in adaptation since 2015, including to support Canadians and the health sector to adapt to the health impacts of climate change.
· Climate change and health adaptation funding supports critical research to understand risks to human health, as well as programming with health authorities to implement measures to adapt and respond.
IF PRESSED ON FEDERAL ACTION TO ADDRESS THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HEALTH
Q1 : What is the government doing to help Canada’s health system and communities adapt to the health impacts of climate change and extreme weather?
A1:
• Federal programming under the National Adaptation Strategy is helping to protect people from extreme heat for example by supporting local health authorities to set up heat alert and response systems to respond quickly to heat emergencies.
• The Government has also invested in efforts to protect people from climate sensitive infectious diseases – such as tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease – and in research to better understand the impacts on, and ways to protect, human health.
• Additionally, we are continuing work to better understand and address the risks from extreme weather events and climate change on health services like hospitals.
IF PRESSED ON FEDERAL ACTION TO PROTECT HEALTH FROM EXTREME HEAT
Q2 : What is the government doing to protect people in Canada from the health risks of extreme heat?
A2:
• The Government of Canada recognizes that extreme heat events are increasing in number and severity in Canada and can pose significant risks to human health in terms of heat-related illness and even death.
• Under the National Adaptation Strategy, the Government is working with partners across the country to better understand who is most at risk, such as older adults and people with chronic and mental illness, and take action to protect them.
• This includes establishing safe indoor temperature limits to keep our homes healthy and cool, and supporting local health authorities set up heat alert and response systems, so they are prepared to take action during heat waves—like opening cooling centres and checking on vulnerable people.
Q3 : What is the government doing to ensure Canada’s health system can adapt to climate change?
A3 :
• Climate change is putting pressure on our health system, as more people get sick from heat-related illnesses and extreme weather like floods and heat are disrupting hospitals.
• To respond, the Government is funding local health adaptation projects and improving emergency preparedness to help health services prepare and manage these growing risks.
• We are also renewing and expanding the HealthADAPT program, to support health authorities across the country to understand climate-related health risks and to take steps to address them.

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• Canada’s climate is warming two times faster than the global average, and three times faster in the North. Climate change is already having a measurable impact on the health and well-being of people living in Canada and is also increasing stress on and costs to the health system.
• People living in Canada are already experiencing the consequences of climate change, including extreme heat, poor air quality, impacts on food safety and water, harm and displacement from extreme weather, spread of infectious disease, and impacts on mental health.
• For example, in the summer of 2021 an extreme heat wave affected western Canada, causing 619 heat-related deaths, making it the deadliest extreme weather event in Canada's history. Most of those who died were older adults or people with chronic or mental health conditions, and the vast majority, 98%, died in their homes.