Expert witness defends ‘advocacy’ in youth-led climate trial

VANCOUVER — A pediatrician testifying at Canada’s first youth-led climate trial says doctors in her profession often view advocacy as a form of promoting patients’ health, in response to a suggestion she has made “climate advocacy” part of her career.

Dr. Elizabeth Pinsky says some positions viewed as advocacy “might just be considered good sense and caring for children” in a different political climate.

The testimony of the Boston-based doctor, who is also a child psychiatrist, came as she was cross-examined by lawyers for the Canadian government.

Pinsky agreed she had not directly treated any of the 15 young plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which argues federal legislation violates their constitutional rights by continuing Canada’s trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions.

Pinsky testified Thursday about an array of risks children face from climate change, from susceptibility to extreme heat to anxiety and depression.

The trial in Federal Court has heard her testimony marked the fourth time in the last three years that Pinsky has given evidence in youth-led climate change cases, including lawsuits against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

She is a founding member of Climate Code Blue, a Boston-area climate action group for health professionals, and part of another group working to implement the city’s climate plan.

“I guess I would just say, yes, advocacy is a piece of the work that I do. I do think the context matters some,” Pinsky said under cross-examination.

Pinsky told the court on Thursday that as climate change worsens, so too will the health impacts.

“There’s just no question left in the medical literature about whether that’s true.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2026

The Canadian Press