Polls
A summer of extreme heat, fires and flooding, along with the release of another sobering IPCC climate report are setting up an election where climate change could play a critical role. National polling has already shown climate change is a top election issue across Canada, and new data from Mainstreet Research confirms that in key ridings voters are deeply concerned about climate change, and could be willing to shift their vote because of it.
“This summer really has demonstrated that climate change is an emergency that we have to deal with here and now,” Amara Possian, Canada Campaign Director with 350.org said. “Voters are deeply concerned not just that climate change is happening, but that politicians in Canada aren’t acting at the scale and urgency that we need to tackle this crisis.”
Polling six possible swing ridings across the country, Mainstreet Research found:
– At least 3 in 4 voters in all polled ridings considered climate change to be either very important or somewhat important. Even among Conserative voters climate change was a major issue.
– At least 1 in 3 voters would consider switching their vote to another candidate or party in order to elect a climate champion in their riding. Liberal identifying voters in particular expressed a willingness to change their vote to support climate champions.
This swing potential was most apparent in West Vancouver – Sunshine Coast – Sea to Sky Country where 43% of all voters would switch and nearly 48% of Liberal voters would switch.
“These findings clearly show that climate change is a very important issue for voters no matter who they plan to vote for,” said Joseph Angolano, Vice President of Mainstreet Research. “Candidates in these key ridings must offer voters a clear vision to tackle climate change if they want to be competitive in the upcoming election”.
With wildfires and heat expected to continue into the fall, and through a potential election, voters will continue to feel the impacts of climate change while parties vie for their votes.
“With COVID-19, people saw what an emergency level government response can look like, and we just haven’t been doing that when it comes to climate change,” Possian explained. “If candidates deliver climate action at the scale we need, with a moratorium on fossil fuel expansion and a real just transition plan, climate voters could rally behind them in a big way.”
350Org by Mainstreet on Scribd
