Systematic Analysis of Disability Rights in Canadian Climate Policies

The Disability-Inclusive Climate Action research program has released a new report that provides a systematic analysis of the inclusion of people with disabilities and their rights in the climate policies adopted by federal, provincial, and some municipal governments in Canada. We begin by retierating the key obligations owed by Canada to persons with disabilities under international human rights law.

It also reviews whether and how persons with disabilities and their rights have been recognized in a dataset of 85 Canadian climate mitigation and adaptation policies. Our analysis reveals that Canadian with disabilities have been systematically neglected in Canadian climate policies. This exclusion reinforces social inequities in the transition to carbon neutrality and exposes them to disproportionate rates of harm and mortality in the context of the impacts of climate change. We conclude by calling on the federal, provincial, and municipal governments to take concrete steps to ensure that their climate policies respect, protect, and fulfil the rights of Canadians with disabilities.

The report is available in PDF format and in an accessible word format. It is also available in French (PDF format and accessible word format).