CAPE: Protecting the Planet for Better Human Health

At the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), the mission is clear: to better human health by protecting the planet.

CAPE brings together physicians, health professionals, and organizations across Canada and beyond to tackle some of the most urgent health and environmental issues of our time. By advocating for healthier ecosystems, leading national campaigns, conducting research, and pushing for bold policy change, CAPE is helping build a healthier, more equitable future for all.

Health and the Environment: A Shared Future

With climate change and environmental degradation threatening the health of communities everywhere, CAPE’s work is rooted in a powerful truth: what’s good for the planet is good for our health.

If Canada meets its climate targets, we could prevent an estimated 112,000 premature deaths between 2030 and 2050, simply by improving air quality. That’s the scale of the impact CAPE is working toward.

Mobilizing the Voice of Health Professionals

CAPE empowers health professionals to speak out on climate and environmental issues—drawing on scientific evidence, ethics, and lived experience to demand change. Their work is guided by core values:

• Educating the public and policymakers about environmental health
• Supporting physicians to become environmental health advocates
• Building strong, collaborative partnerships
• Grounding all actions in science and integrity

A Track Record of Impact

Since 1993, CAPE has helped drive major wins for the environment and public health, including:

• 2024: Pushed for the passage of Bill C-226, Canada’s first national strategy on environmental racism and justice
• 2024: Supported the introduction of Bill C-372, which proposes a ban on fossil fuel advertising
• 2023: Advocated successfully for Bill S-5, strengthening the Canadian Environmental Protection Act
• 2022: Launched the “Fossil Fuel Ads Make Us Sick!” campaign
• 2021: Helped ban pesticides in Montreal and halt a major LNG project in Québec
• 2016: Secured Canada’s commitment to phase out coal by 2030
• 2008–2015: Led efforts that banned cosmetic pesticides in multiple provinces and shuttered coal plants in Ontario

A Vision for the Future

CAPE envisions a Canada where the health of people and the planet are central to policy and society—where action on climate is also action on health, justice, and equity.

By bringing together health professionals, science, and community power, CAPE is proving that collective action can change policy—and save lives.