Canadians see a role for Canadian energy to help European allies, as war in Ukraine drives discussion on energy shortages and inflation
Toronto, ON, September 22, 2022 – The war in Ukraine, energy shortages in Europe and increasing energy prices have Canadians split on the path forward when it comes to global energy sources.
Half (52%) say that Canada must do its part for global energy security by exporting more natural gas to Europe. Four in ten (40%) say the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis have made them more supportive of Canadian oil and natural gas, but 55% say it has not changed their view.
While 45% say supporting Canada’s allies in Europe is more important than fighting climate change right now, there are significant generational differences on this question: men (55%) are significantly more likely to agree than women (36%), as are Boomers (56%) to say supporting our allies in Europe is more important.
In addition:
- Over half (55%) say Canada has a moral obligation to help European countries such as Germany to reduce their dependency on Russian oil and natural gas;
- Half (52%) say that Canada must do its part for global energy security by exporting more natural gas to Europe;
- 47% would be more supportive of Canadian oil and natural gas if Indigenous communities were included; and,
- Four in ten (41%) Canadians believe that Canada should increase its natural gas exports to Europe, even if it means Canada will miss its targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions at home.
- Men (49%) are significantly more likely than women (33%) to agree, as are Canadian Boomers (52%) compared to Gen Z (35%), Millennials (34%) and Gen Xers (37%).
Climate change nonetheless remains a priority for most Canadians, with 52% saying that climate change is an emergency that must be stopped no matter the cost, although 44% believe we should stick to our current targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, even if it means other countries are impacted by a shortage of oil and natural gas.
When it comes to pipelines, half (51%) say that we need more pipelines across Canada - from the west coast to the east coast - so we can export more of our oil and natural gas, and 46% say Canada's inability to build pipelines and export terminals to supply Europe with natural gas has helped Vladimir Putin hold Europe hostage in meeting its energy needs.
There is also some support for developing more renewable energy. Four in ten (40%) Canadians are willing to spend more for energy that is proven to come from renewable sources, and the same proportion (44%) are confident that renewable energy sources will be able to meet the majority of Canada’s energy needs by 2050.
However, only three in 10 (28%) believe that we have enough renewable energy sources today to completely switch away from oil and natural gas, and three in four (76%) Canadians support Canada developing more renewable energy. However, a similar proportion – 66% - are in favour of developing more natural gas as well.
Support for Canada developing more coal (20%) and nuclear energy (39%) is considerably lower, and just over half (53%) of Canadians are concerned about the safety of nuclear energy.
While climate change remains important, half of Canadians are unwilling to spend anything to help fight climate change.
When asked how much Canadians would personally be willing to spend per year to help fight against climate change, whether that meant increased taxation to goods or services costing more, half (50%) said they would not spend anything. This is statistically unchanged from a survey done by Ipsos in July 2021.
Canadians recognize the importance of fighting climate change, but right now some are prioritizing supporting our allies in Europe over the actions to reduce emissions, and only half are currently willing to pay more personally to fight climate change.
About the Study
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between September 1st to 6th and September 8th to 13th, 2022, on behalf of Global News. Some questions had a sample of 2,001 Canadians aged 18+, and others had a sample 1,000 Canadians aged 18+.
The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, questions with a sample of n=2,000 are accurate to within ± 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadians aged 18+ been polled. Questions with a sample of n=1,000 are accurate to within ± 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadians aged 18+ been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Darrell Bricker, PhD
CEO, Ipsos Global Public Affairs
+1 416 324 2001
Gregory Jack
Vice President, Ipsos Public Affairs (Canada)
+1.403.604.7804
About Ipsos
Ipsos is the world’s third largest market research company, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 people.
Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. We serve more than 5000 clients across the world with 75 business solutions.
Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1st, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 index and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).
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