More than half of Canadians (54%) believe putting a price on carbon emissions is a sensible policy.

Vancouver, BC [August 2, 2019] – A large proportion of Canadians are unaware of a recent policy proposal related to environmental issues, but some of its key messages clearly resonate with the public, a new Research Co. poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample, only three-in-ten Canadians (30%) say they are “very familiar” or “moderately familiar” with “The Pact for a Green New Deal.”

“The Pact for a Green New Deal” is calling for Canada to move away from fossil fuels, cut carbon emissions in half by 2030, protect jobs, promote green transportation and deal with economic inequality. The non-partisan policy proposal was launched in Canada in May 2019.

Almost three-in-five Canadians (59%) disagree with the idea of Canada taking no action on climate change unless other countries, which have higher carbon emissions, take major steps as well. The level of disagreement with inaction is highest among women (61%), Canadians aged 55 and over (62%) and those who voted for the Liberal Party in the 2015 federal election (65%).

More than three-in-five Canadians (62%) believe the Canadian economy must move away from oil and gas—a proportion that includes 68% of Quebecers and 67% of British Columbians.

A majority of Canadians (54%) believe putting a price on carbon emissions is a sensible policy. Majorities of Quebecers (66%), British Columbians (56%) and Atlantic Canadians (53%) agree with this notion, while the proportion is lower in Manitoba and Saskatchewan (48%), Ontario (47%) and Alberta (36%).

“There are some clear regional differences on environmental and energy issues across Canada,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “In the four provinces where provincial governments have expressed dissatisfaction with the federal carbon tax, support for this type of policy is lower than in the rest of the country.”

When asked which political party is better equipped to implement “The Pact for a Green New Deal”, 26% of Canadians select the governing Liberal Party, while 23% pick the Green Party.

Perceptions are lower for the Conservative Party (19%) and the New Democratic Party (NDP) (11%), and one-in-five Canadians (20%) select no party.

Across the country, 60% of Canadians (unchanged since a Research Co. survey conducted in December 2018) think global warming (or climate change) is a fact and is mostly caused by emissions from vehicles and industrial facilities.

Just over one-in-five Canadians (21%, +6) think global warming (or climate change) is a fact and is mostly caused by natural changes, while 8% (-10) say global warming (or climate change) as a theory that has not yet been proven.

Methodology:

Results are based on an online study conducted from July 15 to July 17, 2019, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in Canada. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.

Find our full data set here and download the press release here.

For more information on this poll, please contact:

Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.

[c] 778.929.0490

[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca

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