A recent survey by Clean Energy Canada and Abacus Data reveals that the clean energy transition is well underway in Canada. It’s an idea whose time has come, it will not be reversed and it’s happening at just the right time.
Clean Energy: An Idea Whose Time Has Come
“For every person who thinks oil and gas will be very important for Canada’s economy in 10 years, twice as many feel that way about clean energy,” says a Clean Energy Canada media release. Canadians see “clean energy eclipsing oil and gas in economic importance for Canada.”
Key findings of the survey
- Across the country, roughly equal numbers say the oil and gas sector and the clean energy sector are important to the national economy. In Alberta, the perception is that oil and gas is more important to the national economy than clean energy. In the rest of the country, the opposite is true.
- In every part of the country but the Prairies, more people think clean energy is important to their provincial economy than oil and gas.
- When asked about the importance of each of these sectors to the Canadian economy 10 years from now, 28% say that oil and gas will be very important, while 59% say the same thing about the clean energy sector. There has been a striking increase since November 2020 in the proportion of Canadians who believe clean energy will be important to Canada’s economy in the future.
Climate Target
When told that Canada’s target to reduce emissions is 40-45% below the 2005 level, by the year 2030, 29% say they feel that target is too ambitious, and 21% say it is not ambitious enough—with the plurality saying it is about the right level of ambition. In May of 2021, 33% felt that target was too ambitious, and 15% thought it was not ambitious enough.
Two out of three people believe that if Canada were to meet that target, “our economy will become stronger and more competitive along the way,” while only a third (32%) believe we will become weaker and less competitive. A majority of Albertans also believe the Canadian economy would become stronger and more competitive.
“Canadians are witnessing governments, major automakers, and big corporations compete on the world stage as they race to secure market share in the growing clean energy sector. We asked these same questions in 2020, and in just 14 months, the number of Canadians who said the clean energy sector would be very important in 10 years shot up 19 points. Building Canada’s clean economy has gone from being from a nice idea to a necessary reality.” —Trevor Melanson, Communications Director of Clean Energy Canada
(This post is sourced from the Clean Energy Canada media release and survey.)
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