Climate Change: Preparing for the Health Impacts

Major Milestones and Health Initiatives on Climate Change

1979

• 1st World Climate Conference, convened by World Meteorological Organization, calls on government to "foresee and prevent potential man-made changes in climate."

1985

• 1st International Conference on Greenhouse Effects suggests that greenhouse gases (GHG) will cause a rise in mean global temperature in first half of next century, with sea levels rising by up to one metre.

• Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer outlines responsibilities for protecting human health and environment against adverse effects of ozone depletion.

1987

• Montreal Protocol calls for phasing out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by 2000 and methyl-chloroform by 2005.

1988

• International Conference of Changing Atmosphere: Implications for Global Security calls for 20 % cut in global CO₂ emissions by 2005.

• United Nations (UN) Environment Program and the World Meteorological Organization establish Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to analyze and report on scientific findings.

1990

• First report by IPCC indicates that the planet has warmed by 0.5°C in past century.
• Canada launches National Action Strategy on Global Warming.

1992

• UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) signed by Canada and 145 other nations, setting initial target to reduce GHG emissions from industrialized countries to 1990 levels by 2000.

• Canada holds first Federal/Provincial/Territorial (F/P/T) Joint Ministers Meeting to provide direction on Framework Agreement.

• National Climate Change Task Group formed to develop options for national action program.

1994

• Alliance of Small Island States, wary of increases in sea levels, demands 20 % cut in emissions by 2005.

• Canada releases First National Report on Climate Change required under UNFCCC.

1995

• Berlin Mandate signed at first full meeting of Climate Change Convention.

• IPCC releases Second Assessment Report, stating that "the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate" and predicting that, under a "business as usual" scenario, global temperatures will rise between 1°C and 3.5°C by 2100.

1996

• World Health Organization (WHO) publishes Climate Change and Human Health.

• Canada introduces Federal Action Program on Climate Change, committing government to reduce its GHG emissions by at least 20 % from 1990 levels by 2005.

1997

• Kyoto Protocol agrees to legally binding emissions cuts for industrialized nations (averaging 5 %) to be met by 2012; adopts flexibility measures allowing countries to meet their targets partly by trading emissions permits, establishing carbon sinks such as forests to soak up emissions, and by investing in other countries.

• Canada releases Second National Report on Climate Change required under UNFCCC.

• Environment Canada publishes Canada Country Study: Climate Impacts and Adaptation, a national assessment of potential impacts of climate change and variability.

1998

• Hottest year in hottest decade of hottest century of millennium.
• Canada signs Kyoto Protocol and establishes Climate Change Secretariat to help F/P/T governments develop National Strategy on Climate Change to meet emissions reductions set out in Kyoto Protocol and to manage Climate Change Action Fund.
• Climate Change and Health Office (CCHO) established at Health Canada.

2000

• IPCC scientists reassess likely future emissions and warn that world could warm by as much as 6°C within a century.

• Series of major floods around world reinforce public concerns that global warming is increasing risk of extreme weather events.

• Canada releases Action Plan 2000 -- 45 measures that target sectors accounting for 90% of country's GHG emissions.

• Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network (C-CIARN) established.

2001

• IPCC releases Third Assessment Report.

• Canada provides funding for Wind Power Production Incentive and the Green Municipal Funds.

• The Health Sector of C-CIARN (hosted by Health Canada) established.

• Health Canada holds 1st Annual National Health and Climate Change Science and Policy Research Consensus Conference, and 1st Annual Climate Change and Health & Well-Being National Policy and Planning Conference.

2002

• Canada ratifies Kyoto Protocol.

• The federal government releases Climate Change Plan for Canada (CCPC).

• Environment Canada publishes Canada Country Study: Climate Impacts and Adaptation, a national assessment of potential impacts of climate change and variability.

• Health Canada and WHO convene International Meeting of Ministries of Health on Climate Change and Health.

• Health Canada holds series of workshops to identify research gaps, and five climate change/health research networks established.

2003

• Globally, third hottest year on record, but Europe experiences hottest summer for at least 500 years, resulting in over 30,000 fatalities. Extreme weather costs a record $60 billion.

• WHO publishes Climate Change and Human Health: Risks and Responses. WHO, Health Canada, World Meteorological Organization and UN Environment Program jointly publish Methods of Assessing Human Health Vulnerability and Public Health Adaptation to Climate Change.

• Health Canada launches National Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Assessment, to be completed in 2007.

2004

• Russian parliament ratifies Kyoto Protocol, which has now been ratified by nations responsible for over 55% of industrialized country emissions, as required in its regulations.

• The Arctic Council releases Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, reporting on rapid changes occurring in the Arctic.

• Canada releases Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations: A Canadian Perspective, providing overview of research on climate change impacts and adaptation since 1999.

• Health Canada publishes two comprehensive newsletters and holds workshop to develop national research agenda on social impacts of climate change.

2005

• Kyoto Protocol comes into effect February 16, 2005.

• Canada releases Moving Forward on Climate Change: A Plan for Honouring Our Kyoto Commitment.

• Canada hosts first meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol in conjunction with the 11^th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Montréal, November 28 to December 9, 2005.

• Health Canada publishes Climate Change and Health: Research Report outlining work of C-CIARN's Health Sector and its Climate Change and Health Research Networks.