In the latest round of survey work by Clean Energy Canada and Abacus Data, two out of three people in Canada (68%) think Canadians are currently seen in the rest of the world as people “who are determined to help combat climate change” while only 32% think our image is of “people who lack the will to change and protect the planet”. Fully 83% would like us to be seen as “determined to help combat climate change”, while 17% would prefer we be seen as unwilling to act.

Three out of four (75%) think we are seen as “producers of goods that come with good sustainability credentials” while 25% think we are seen as people who make products to weak sustainability standards. Again, 83% would like us to be seen as makers of sustainably produced products.

Today, 77% of Canadians think our country is seen as “highly dependent on oil and gas” while 76% would like to see a change and would prefer Canada be seen as “an economy that runs on renewable energy”.

Finally, the vast majority of Canadians support the idea of a national effort to promote sustainably made Canadian industrial products around the world, to ensure that Canadian workers benefit from a shift to a lower-carbon economy.”

These results are part of a national survey that has revealed a sweeping conviction among Canadians that the world is shifting towards decarbonization and a very broad conviction that Canada should compete to win investment and jobs in that context.

On each of these items noted in this release, opinion is highly consistent across generations, regions and regardless of political affiliation. Conservative voters and Albertans are more split on whether they want Canada seen as an economy that runs on renewable energy, but a majority in both cases would prefer that image for the country. Fully 81% in Alberta and 77% of Conservative voters want Canadians to be seen as people who are determined to help combat climate change.

UPSHOT

According to Bruce Anderson: “Shifting to a cleaner economy is broadly seen as desirable and inevitable and once-deep resistance among Conservative voters and Albertans seems to be dissipating. Across Canada, the desire is for our country to be seen as a place that does its share to fight climate change, produces products to high standards of sustainability and Canadians also like the idea of marketing our products to the world with these credentials front and centre. This debate has shifted rapidly and a climate plan is increasingly viewed as central to an economic plan for the future.”

According to Merran Smith, Clean Energy Canada’s executive director: “A year into this new decade, climate action is the clear Canadian consensus, full stop. It’s a moral responsibility Canadians believe we have, absolutely, but it also underpins the economy Canadians want and believe we need to compete abroad. And it’s the image Canadians want to see of themselves when they look in the mirror—or when they imagine the world looking at us.”

ABOUT ABACUS DATA

We are the only research and strategy firm that helps organizations respond to the disruptive risks and opportunities in a world where demographics and technology are changing more quickly than ever.

Find out more about what we are doing to help clients respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are an innovative, fast-growing public opinion and marketing research consultancy. We use the latest technology, sound science, and deep experience to generate top-flight research-based advice to our clients. We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and exceptional value.

We were one of the most accurate pollsters conducting research during the 2019 Canadian Election.

Contact us with any questions.

Find out more about how we can help your organization by downloading our corporate profile and service offering.

METHODOLOGY

The survey was conducted with 1,419 Canadian adults from November 26 to December 1, 2020. A random sample of panellists was invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. These partners are typically double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single source.

The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 2.6%, 19 times out of 20.

The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

In the latest round of survey work by Clean Energy Canada and Abacus Data, two out of three people in Canada would like to see Canada as either “world leading” (27%) or “among the most ambitious” countries in the world (39%) when it comes to a shift towards clean energy and clean technology.

Today when asked to rate the current level of movement in this direction, Canadians placed our level of ambition just behind that of Germany and ahead of the UK, France, China, the US and Italy. Only 11% felt we were taking things more slowly than other countries and 45% say we are more ambitious than other countries (45%) or even world leading (10%).

When it comes to our ideal positioning, strong majorities in every region but Alberta and among all political affiliations except Conservatives prefer to see Canada ahead of the curve of other countries. Those under 45 are particularly enthusiastic in their desire to see Canada be world leading. However, almost half of Conservatives and Albertans would like to see the country be ahead of the average and very few in both those groups would prefer Canada to lag behind the shift to clean energy and clean technology.

We asked Canadians to take into account both the fact that global economic growth increases demand for energy alongside the fact that many countries have announced plans to be carbon neutral, and queried respondents on what they felt the net effect would be in terms of the demand for Canadian oil and gas in the future.

About half (49%) forecast a decline in demand, while 34% say there will be no effect and 17% predict that the net impact with be an increase. Pluralities in all regions except Saskatchewan, all generations and, all political groups believe that demand for Canadian fossil fuels will decline.

The vast majority believe that Canada cannot afford to ignore these trends or take a laissez-faire approach to deal with them: 89% believe the country “needs a strategy to help sectors across our economy adapt in ways that will make them highly competitive in a lower-carbon global economy.”

Today, only 12% think the federal government, and 8% think their provincial government is doing too much to shift Canada towards a cleaner economy, while 42% think not enough is being done.

UPSHOT

According to Bruce Anderson: “The idea of preparing for and developing strategies to compete in a cleaner energy world is not really divisive across regional, generational, or party lines, even though the tone of political debate in recent years may leave a different impression.

People may not know the details of what is or isn’t being done and may have different opinions about the ideal pace, but the direction people want to see is clear, and their point of departure is that this shift is not only about protecting the planet, it’s about ensuring there is a healthy economy that is competitive in the years to come.”

According to Merran Smith, Clean Energy Canada’s executive director: “For Canadians, the global energy transition has evolved from being an aspiration to a lived reality. Large majorities now recognize that climate change is here and the shift to clean energy is already widespread—and that we ought to be on the opportunity side of that equation. And while Canada gets okay grades from Canadians on climate action, there’s a sizable gap between where Canadians see us now and where they’d like us to be. Nearly nine in 10 would like to see a low-carbon strategy for our broader economy and its many sectors. They understand this is what will make Canada competitive.”

ABOUT ABACUS DATA

We are the only research and strategy firm that helps organizations respond to the disruptive risks and opportunities in a world where demographics and technology are changing more quickly than ever.

Find out more about what we are doing to help clients respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are an innovative, fast-growing public opinion and marketing research consultancy. We use the latest technology, sound science, and deep experience to generate top-flight research-based advice to our clients. We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and exceptional value.

We were one of the most accurate pollsters conducting research during the 2019 Canadian Election.

Contact us with any questions.

Find out more about how we can help your organization by downloading our corporate profile and service offering.

METHODOLOGY

The survey was conducted with 1,419 Canadian adults from November 26 to December 1, 2020. A random sample of panellists was invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. These partners are typically double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single source.

The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 2.6%, 19 times out of 20.

The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

With the announcements of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines last month and vaccine deployment teams ramping up their strategic planning the reality of a vaccine is getting closer and closer. It’s something that has been talked about since the beginning of this pandemic ‘When we get a vaccine…’, ‘A vaccine will help us return to normal’…. But now that the time is nearly here, how do Canadians feel about the logistics about the deployment of a vaccine worldwide?

We partnered with CanWaCH (The Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health), to understand how Canadians feel about a vaccination strategy beyond our borders.

First, three in four (76%) Canadians say it is critical that every healthcare worker worldwide is vaccinated once a vaccine becomes available. Canadians understand the important work and sacrifices our healthcare workers have made worldwide and understand the importance of providing healthcare workers with a vaccine that can keep them safe on the front lines.

A clear majority of Liberal (88%), Conservative (67%) and NDP (80%) voters support this approach, especially Liberal voters (52% say they strongly agree with this approach).

Canadians also support the federal government providing financial assistance to ensure this is possible. More specifically, two-thirds (67%) support a financial contribution of $50 million from the federal government. We wanted to understand whether this financial contribution came with a hard-stop, but even when the number is doubled (to $100 million) we still see support from 63% of Canadians. This suggests there is little hesitancy about the cost, and that  Canadians understand the importance of the issue and want to see our government making a contribution.

Finally, these perceptions are grounded in an understanding that stopping the spread of COVID-19 in Canada means stopping the spread of the virus worldwide. Through globalization our world is intrinsically interconnected, and the spread of a virus is no different.

79% of Canadians say that unless COVID-19 is controlled in other parts of the world, we can’t return to life as normal in Canada. Stopping the spread of the virus, through measures like vaccinating every healthcare worker is important for Canadians to live their lives normally again. Canadians understand that as a global problem, the pandemic needs a global response, and want to ensure Canada is committed to taking a lead in this approach.

A desire for Canada to take a lead in a global approach because of the impacts here at home also crosses party lines. Again, support is strongest among Liberal voters but there are also a considerable number of CPC voters that understand the importance of taking action globally.

 UPSHOT

The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded Canadians just how small the world really is. This pandemic has shown us what happens outside our borders can have real implications on what happens here at home.

Most Canadians want the federal government to help ensure that healthcare workers globally get access to a COVID-19 vaccine and there’s little political risk in doing so. A desire to protect frontline workers worldwide crosses party lines. Only a small minority would be upset if the federal government announced significant funding to support those goals.

While the tendency for a Canada-first approach may seem appealing given the circumstances, our research shows that most Canadians see a global role for Canada in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and helping to protect those on the frontlines through widespread vaccine adoption.

ABOUT ABACUS DATA

We are the only research and strategy firm that helps organizations respond to the disruptive risks and opportunities in a world where demographics and technology are changing more quickly than ever.

Find out more about what we are doing to help clients respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are an innovative, fast-growing public opinion and marketing research consultancy. We use the latest technology, sound science, and deep experience to generate top-flight research-based advice to our clients. We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and exceptional value.

We were one of the most accurate pollsters conducting research during the 2019 Canadian Election.

Contact us with any questions.

Find out more about how we can help your organization by downloading our corporate profile and service offering.

METHODOLOGY

The survey was conducted with 1,659 Canadian residents aged 18 and over from October 29th to November 2nd, 2020. A random sample of panelists were invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. These partners are typically double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single source.

The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 2.4%, 19 times out of 20.

The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

In the latest round of survey work by Clean Energy Canada and Abacus Data, two out of three people in Canada believe that President-elect Biden will follow through on his promise to make climate change a major priority, including two out of three people in Canada’s leading oil-producing province, Alberta.

When asked whether they believe that Biden’s effort to reduce emissions will make America’s economy weaker or stronger, the results may surprise: for every person who feels America will lose ground economically (19%), two believe it will gain (40%). In total, 81% think a drive to reduce emissions will not harm the US economy.

The consensus that America can reduce emissions without harming its economy is broad, includes all regions of the country, and cuts across all generations. While the debate in Canada has had strong regional and political cleavages in the past, these seem more muted now.

• Only 30% of Albertans believe a climate push will hurt America’s economy, while an equal number think it will add strength (31%) and the rest think the economic impact will be neutral.

• While one in three Conservative (33%) voters think a Biden climate push will weaken America’s economy, a quarter (24%) think America will be stronger as a result, and 42% see no significant impact. Supporters of other parties are considerably more likely to say cutting emissions will strengthen America’s economy.

The question of how Canadian policy should tack based on Mr. Biden’s anticipated approach is topical right now. When told of Biden’s stated intent to invest very significantly in clean energy projects, respondents are clearly of the view that Canada should follow the same path.

Three out of four (77%) to want Canada “to move our economy at a similar pace towards clean energy so we don’t become uncompetitive with the US economy” rather than to assume America’s economy will be weakened by a shift to cleaner energy and that we should move more slowly to gain an economic advantage (23%).

This preference to move in step with America is the majority view in every part of the country, including Alberta (65%). It is also the view of a majority of supporters of all political parties, including 59% of Conservatives.

UPSHOT

According to Bruce Anderson, Chairman of Abacus Data: “For most Canadians, who welcomed the election of Joe Biden, his climate agenda will be seen as a positive for the future of the planet.  But what is most interesting in these numbers is the fact that public opinion has crossed a tipping point – people now believe that an economy which shifts it’s an approach towards cleaner energy won’t be adding costs and losing competitiveness – they are more likely to believe that it will have a positive economic effect.

The second major finding here is that Canadians, including most Albertans and most Conservatives, believe Canada must shift in this direction in order to remain competitive with the US and not be left behind.  For politicians and policymakers we are now much more squarely in a world where people want to discuss the how, not the whether, of an energy transition and the fight against climate change.”

According to Merran Smith, Executive Director of Clean Energy Canada: “Canadians don’t want to be left behind, which means keeping tabs on our friends around the world. With a Biden presidency kicking off the new year and game-changing clean stimulus plans from countries like Germany, the U.K., and South Korea, it’s clear that Canada must work to keep up in what might be the world’s most competitive—and economically critical—race. It’s also clear that Canadians understand what’s happening globally, and that few wish to place their bets on old ways of doing things.”

ABOUT ABACUS DATA

We are the only research and strategy firm that helps organizations respond to the disruptive risks and opportunities in a world where demographics and technology are changing more quickly than ever.

Find out more about what we are doing to help clients respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are an innovative, fast-growing public opinion and marketing research consultancy. We use the latest technology, sound science, and deep experience to generate top-flight research-based advice to our clients. We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and exceptional value.

We were one of the most accurate pollsters conducting research during the 2019 Canadian Election.

Contact us with any questions.

Find out more about how we can help your organization by downloading our corporate profile and service offering.

METHODOLOGY

The survey was conducted with 1,419 Canadian adults from November 26 to December 1, 2020. A random sample of panellists was invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. These partners are typically double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single source.

The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 2.6%, 19 times out of 20.

The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

This holiday season will be unlike any other that Canadian’s have experienced because the COVID-19 pandemic has severely restricted what we can and should do this year.

For the past eight months, the pandemic has altered many of the ways we do things. It introduced consumers to new ways of shopping, strengthened loyalty with pre-existing brands, and forced us to reconsider the value of different things in our lives.

In our latest national survey of over 2,900 Canadians, we explored how COVID-19 is going to impact shopping and travel in the 2020 holiday season.

Here are some of the highlights from that survey:

Finding #1: More than half of Canadians have started their holiday shopping already. With almost 1 in 5 saying they are already done.

Atlantic Canadians and women are more likely to have gotten a head start on their holiday shopping compared with other regions or among men.

Two factors are driving the early holiday shopping patterns of Canadians:

1) There’s broad hesitation in going to shopping malls – 81% of Canadians say they will avoid shopping malls if they can this year.

2) 70% of Canadians are concerned about delays in shipping or the postal service for purchases made online. This concern has forced them to think and shop sooner than they normally would.

Finding #2: Compared with last year, far more holiday shopping will be done online.

When asked to estimate what percentage of their holiday shopping last year was done online versus in-store, two-thirds of shopping was done in store compared to one-third online.

This year, Canadian consumers estimate that they will do on average 56% of their shopping online compared to 44% in-store. This represents a substantial shift in how Canadians will shop this holiday season.

Along generational lines, boomers have drastically increased their online shopping from last year, surpassing millennials’ online shopping habits from last year.

Finding #3: Shopping and supporting local businesses is important to Canadians this holiday season. Over 7 in 10

Canadians say they will try to shop local this year.

Throughout the pandemic, we have seen an increased desire and intention of Canadians to shop and support local businesses. This holiday season is no different, with over 7 in 10 reporting that they will try to shop local more this year than in the past. This desire does not falter among subgroups.

Finding #4: For some Canadians, the pandemic will take a bite out of holiday spending this year. For others, spending will increase.

30% of Canadians say they will be spending less on holiday shopping this year than last year, while 16% say they will be spending more.

Here we see a difference among generational lines with more than twice as many millennials expecting to spend more on holiday gifts this year than any other generation.

Finding #5: Higher spending on holiday shopping comes as winter travel intentions to warmer destinations all but disappears.

Last year, about 1 in 5 Canadian adults said they travelled to a warm destination over the winter. Not surprisingly, this year only 3% intend to do so, representing an 85% reduction in winter travel to warmer destinations.

THE UPSHOT

Canadians have endured a lot over the past 8 months and are not letting the pandemic dampen their holiday spirit. In fact, their preparedness has increased, as most still plan to do holiday shopping this year and half have already begun.
Even though the pandemic has financially impacted many Canadians, all is not lost – a majority still plan to do as much holiday spending as they normally do.

Although Canadians remain hesitant to shop in-store this holiday season, there is a strong desire to support and have access to local businesses. Local retailers who have been able to adapt to having an online presence will be more successful this season.

Millennials are going to be big spenders this holiday season. Even though a third will not be spending on travel to visit family this year, they are twice as likely to expect to spend more on food, alcohol, decorations, and entertainment/activities this holiday season than other generations.

ABOUT ABACUS DATA

We are the only research and strategy firm that helps organizations respond to the disruptive risks and opportunities in a world where demographics and technology are changing more quickly than ever.

Find out more about what we are doing to help clients respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are an innovative, fast-growing public opinion and marketing research consultancy. We use the latest technology, sound science, and deep experience to generate top-flight research-based advice to our clients. We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and exceptional value.

We were one of the most accurate pollsters conducting research during the 2019 Canadian Election.

Contact us with any questions.

Find out more about how we can help your organization by downloading our corporate profile and service offering.

METHODOLOGY

The survey was conducted with 2,950 Canadian adults from November 16 to 24, 2020. A random sample of panellists was invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. These partners are typically double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single source.

The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 1.8%, 19 times out of 20.

The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

When asked when they think a vaccine will be made available to them personally in the new year, only 23% expect that will happen in the first quarter, another 27% guess the second quarter, 17% the third quarter, and 20% believe it will happen in October or later.

When asked if the timing they expected a vaccine to be available for them personally was excellent, good, acceptable in the circumstances or unacceptably slow, only 17% said it was too slow, and 83% said their imagined timing was acceptable or better than that.

Across party lines, 74% of Conservative voters said the timing they imagined was acceptable or better, only 27% said it was unacceptably slow. Supporters of other parties were more positive still.

As the chart below indicates levels of dissatisfaction are under a third for every month that a respondent guessed, with the exception of December (which was only picked by 3%).

We also asked if Canadians would be angry if people in other countries were able to get vaccinated before Canadians. A quarter said they would (24%) but the large majority (76%) said they would be “satisfied as long as Canadians are able to get access to doses within a couple of months of when they are available elsewhere.” This was the view of three-quarters of men and women, of all age groups, in every region. The only subgroups where an angry reaction was a bit more evident were Conservative voters (28% angry) and Bloc voters (39% angry).

Overall, 59% are satisfied with the “way the federal government has been handling its responsibilities for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes a majority in every region of the country except for Alberta, where opinion is split (46% approve/54% disapprove).

Asked how they feel about their provincial government, the average is 58% nationally, with the highest numbers in Atlantic Canada and Quebec, followed by Ontario and BC at 60% satisfied. The lowest satisfaction is registered in Alberta, where 37% are satisfied and 63% dissatisfied with the way the Kenney government is handling the pandemic.

UPSHOT

According to Bruce Anderson: “Canadians are undoubtedly frustrated and worried by COVID-19 but they have been consistently showing patience and a bias for caution when it comes to what it will take to exit this pandemic. It’s unusual, to say the least when Albertans are more unhappy with the Kenney government on an issue than they are with the Trudeau government – but that’s the case as things now stand in regard to the pandemic.

Attitudes towards the availability of a vaccine continue in this vein, with most people appearing to feel that the federal government is doing its best to make reasonable choices in the circumstances and largely tuning out what may sound like politically motivated accusations of incompetence.

For most people, the availability of a vaccine is good news and their expectations of distribution and availability appear to line up with the outlook provided by the government so far. That could change of course, but so far Canadians are not particularly troubled by what they see as the outlook for vaccine access.”

MORE FROM ABACUS DATA

Earlier today, we also released new data showing that less than half of Canadians say they will not gather with family outside their household over the holidays.

ABOUT ABACUS DATA

We are the only research and strategy firm that helps organizations respond to the disruptive risks and opportunities in a world where demographics and technology are changing more quickly than ever.

Find out more about what we are doing to help clients respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are an innovative, fast-growing public opinion and marketing research consultancy. We use the latest technology, sound science, and deep experience to generate top-flight research-based advice to our clients. We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and exceptional value.

We were one of the most accurate pollsters conducting research during the 2019 Canadian Election.

Contact us with any questions.

Find out more about how we can help your organization by downloading our corporate profile and service offering.

METHODOLOGY

The survey was conducted with 1,419 Canadian adults from November 26 to December 1, 2020. A random sample of panellists was invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. These partners are typically double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single source.

The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 2.1%, 19 times out of 20.

The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

Abacus Data Bulletins are short analyses of public opinion data we collect. For more information or media interviews, contact David Coletto.

PLEASE NOTE: The results in this release were updated on December 3.

In our latest national survey completed on December 3, we asked respondents what they planned to do for the holidays when it comes to gathering with family.

51% said they will not gather with family outside of their household during the holidays. But almost half say they still may or definitely will.

33% say they may still get together with family from different households, but will be extra cautious and safe. 8% say they will get together with family for the holidays like they usually do, regardless of what health authorities say.

Results were fairly consistent across the country with Albertans being most likely to say they will avoid gathering with family outside their household and Atlantic Canadians being the least likely.

UPSHOT

Despite warnings and recommendations from health authorities and political leaders that Canadians refrain from gathering with family and friends from outside their household, many Canadians still say they intend to do so.

There is still time for these plans to change obviously, but the initial intentions are to go against this advice and find a safe way to gather with family over the holidays.

METHODOLOGY

The survey was conducted with 1,221 Canadian adults (18+) living outside Quebec from November 27 to December 3, 2020. A random sample of panellists were invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. These partners are typically double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single source.

The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 2.8%, 19 times out of 20. The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

ABOUT ABACUS DATA

We are the only research and strategy firm that helps organizations respond to the disruptive risks and opportunities in a world where demographics and technology are changing more quickly than ever.

We are an innovative, fast-growing public opinion and marketing research consultancy. We use the latest technology, sound science, and deep experience to generate top-flight research-based advice to our clients. We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and exceptional value.

We were one of the most accurate pollsters conducting research during the 2019 Canadian Election.

Contact us with any questions.

Find out more about how we can help your organization by downloading our corporate profile and service offering.