Article content

From a public relations perspective, it would seem, the debate is over. Putting a price on carbon dioxide is supposed to be a no-brainer. That’s because one public opinion poll after another says Canadians supposedly want action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

And just about everyone in media, academia and government now says pricing carbon dioxide is the best way to lower Canada’s emissions. Experts have moved on to squabbling over whether to price emissions directly with a tax or indirectly with cap and trade.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Why Canadians are turning against carbon prices — but still support climate action Back to video

But perhaps we should ask, if the public accepts carbon dioxide pricing, why are governments that pursue it under fire? What’s going on in towns and cities across the country?

Earlier this month, The Globe and Mail reported on a Nanos Research poll it commissioned on voter attitudes toward Ottawa’s climate regulations. Nanos found almost two-thirds of Canadians want the Trudeau government to proceed with its climate regulations, including carbon dioxide pricing. An even larger majority, 77 per cent, said it would be wrong for Ottawa to align its environmental policies with the Trump administration should their approaches clash.