A recent global health report indicates that approximately 1,400 deaths in Canada each year from 2020 to 2024 were linked to wildfire smoke pollution. This alarming statistic highlights the growing health impacts of climate change in the country. The report, part of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change, was compiled by over 100 experts and is regarded as one of the most thorough examinations of the issue.

The report reveals that wildfire smoke pollution in Canada increased by an average of 172% from 2020 to 2024 compared to levels recorded between 2003 and 2012. Additionally, Canadians experienced about six days of heat waves last year that would likely not have occurred without climate change, primarily driven by fossil fuel emissions.

The findings also suggest that heat exposure in 2024 led to a loss of over 40 million potential labor hours, which is 136% more than the average in the 1990s. This loss translates to an estimated $1.4 billion in lost income, with the construction sector accounting for nearly two-thirds of the lost hours.

This report arrives just ahead of a significant United Nations climate change conference scheduled for next month in Brazil, as well as a meeting of G7 environment and energy ministers in Toronto later this week. The report warns that the world is on a path toward a "potentially catastrophic" level of global warming, despite decades of scientific warnings.

It also criticizes some world leaders for ignoring scientific evidence regarding health and climate change, prioritizing short-term economic and political interests instead. The report claims that "fossil fuel giants" are exploiting reduced political pressure to delay or retract their climate commitments, while banks have increased their lending to the fossil fuel sector, jeopardizing both public health and national economies.

The report emphasizes the urgent need for a health-protective, equitable, and just transition away from fossil fuels. It states, "There is no time left for further delay."

Access to affordable, off-grid, renewable electricity is deemed essential for addressing major sources of greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate risks. However, around one billion people globally rely on healthcare facilities that lack reliable power, and many households in the least developed countries depend on polluting and unreliable fuels for energy, highlighting the unequal access to clean energy.

The report also points out that delaying the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is costing lives. It notes that in 2022, 39% of emissions from Canada’s agricultural product consumption were linked to red meat and dairy. Furthermore, the report estimates that excessive consumption of these products, along with processed meat, was responsible for about 16,000 deaths that same year.