Close X
Saturday, November 30, 2024
ADVT 
National

Canadians support new climate policies: poll

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 09 Nov, 2021 11:06 AM
  • Canadians support new climate policies: poll

OTTAWA - After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made multiple policy announcements across the pond at the COP26 climate summit in Scotland, a new poll hints at how Canadians feel about those developments.

Sixty-nine per cent of respondents to an online survey by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies say they support Canada's announcement at the summit that it will cap and reduce pollution from the oil and gas sector toward net zero by 2050.

Some 65 per cent of respondents also say they support the government's new policy to stop exporting coal by 2030, a move which would end the trade abroad of about 36 million tonnes of the resource, currently 60 per cent of what the country produces.

Sixty-one per cent also support Canada's recent policy announcement that it will halt subsidies that assist oil and natural gas companies to run and grow their operations outside the country by the end of 2022.

The online survey of 1,565 Canadians cannot be assigned a margin of error because internet-based polls are not considered random samples.

Despite general agreement on these issues, Leger executive vice-president Christian Bourque says Canadians from fossil fuel-producing regions including Saskatchewan and Alberta tend to agree less on policies related to climate change because those changes directly affect their economies.

Meanwhile, respondents from Quebec led the other provinces in their support of Canada’s recent climate policy commitments, followed by British Columbia.

“In regions like B.C. or Quebec, we see that the level of agreement with reducing production and pollution is always higher because it doesn't directly affect the economy,” said Bourque.

He added that one of the reasons why Quebec agrees more with these climate-related policies has to do with broad consensus in the province on reducing the use of fossil fuels.

“There’s no opposition to that. There’s no voice that’s speaking on behalf of the industry that’s clearly being heard,” Bourque said.

Canadians were split on how they rate the country’s effort to address climate change, with half agreeing that Canada has taken great strides and 40 per cent disagreeing.

The survey also asked Canadians to share how their perception of climate change more generally.

Three in four respondents said they believe there is still time to put measures in place to stop climate change, a rate that is about on par with a cohort of American respondents who answered the same question.

Asked about how they feel about climate change, younger respondents report higher rates of stress compared to older cohorts, with 38 per cent of those aged 18 to 34 saying they are “very stressed.”

“Now that there's something called ‘eco-anxiety’ among young people, it sort of shows in the data,” said Bourque.

Those surveyed were more mixed on former environmental activist Steven Guilbeault's fitness as Canada's environment minister, with almost half saying he's a good choice and a third saying they don't know.

Bourque said he was surprised there was not more resistance from respondents to Guilbeault’s nomination, because the poll question mentioned the minister’s past as a Greenpeace activist.

“The reason why we put that in is we thought if you're an opponent (of Guilbeault), that's the first thing you would raise,” said Bourque. “Even when we include that into the question, people are either waiting to pass judgment or don't see really much of a problem with it.”

 

MORE National ARTICLES

PM's consultations on Indigenous ruling questioned

PM's consultations on Indigenous ruling questioned
Time is ticking down on a 30-day legal window for the Liberal government to appeal a decision released by the Federal Court on Sept. 29 upholding rulings by a human rights tribunal around services and compensation for First Nations children.

PM's consultations on Indigenous ruling questioned

Strike notice issued at B.C. medical lab provider

Strike notice issued at B.C. medical lab provider
Workers have been without a contract since April and the union says wages are the main issue, although LifeLabs says on its website that agreement had been reached on key monetary provisions before the union rejected its latest offer.

Strike notice issued at B.C. medical lab provider

Belugas polluted with microplastics through prey

Belugas polluted with microplastics through prey
In the study, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, researchers looked at five species of Arctic fish that are regular prey of belugas and found 21 per cent of them had microplastic particles in their gastrointestinal tracts.    

Belugas polluted with microplastics through prey

Richmond RCMP investigate collision between a motorcycle and truck

Richmond RCMP investigate collision between a motorcycle and truck
At approximately 5:30 pm on Tuesday Richmond RCMP received a call about a fatal collision involving a motorcycle and truck. Richmond RCMP Criminal Collision Investigation Team (CCIT) will have conduct of this investigation.

Richmond RCMP investigate collision between a motorcycle and truck

Report says $2T needed for net-zero economy

Report says $2T needed for net-zero economy
The report from RBC Economics estimates governments, businesses and communities would have to spend at least $60 billion annually to cut emissions by 75 per cent of current levels and reach the 2050 target of net zero.

Report says $2T needed for net-zero economy

Tories disagree with required vaccination in House

Tories disagree with required vaccination in House
The position presents the first challenge to the all-party board of internal economy ruling only people who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to enter the House of Commons precinct.

Tories disagree with required vaccination in House