For immediate release: June 11, 2026

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE

Statement from Julia Levin, Associate Director: New Polling Shows PM Carney Misread the Room on Climate

Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – Canadians haven’t abandoned climate. Their government has. PM Carney has dismantled Canada’s climate progress, but new polling from Abacus Data shows that the majority of Canadians — over 60 per cent — don’t think PM Carney is taking the climate crisis seriously enough. It may surprise the PM to learn that even most Albertans oppose public funding for new oil pipelines and want less economic dependence on oil and gas.

Canadians know that real security and economic growth depend on bold climate action — that the two must go together. It is Canadians who will pay the price for this miscalculation in the form of economic insecurity, worsening climate disasters, more property damage and evacuations, and higher home insurance costs.

Key Findings from the polling:

  • Between May 28 and June 2, 2026, Abacus Data surveyed 1,910 Canadian adults to better understand attitudes towards climate change, federal government performance on the issue, and how Canadians believe climate action should fit alongside economic priorities.
  • Asked whether the Liberal government under Mark Carney is taking climate change seriously enough, only 18 per cent believe it is taking significant and necessary action.
  • Only 21 per cent believe the Liberal government is addressing climate change effectively, including just 3 per cent who say very effectively.
  • 80 per cent of Canadians say they are either very concerned, concerned, or moderately concerned about climate change and its potential impact on the future. That is up from 77 per cent in July 2025 and substantially higher than the 62 per cent recorded in 2024. Concern levels have now returned to, and slightly exceeded, the highs recorded in 2023. Concern is strongest among Liberal (89 per cent) and NDP (89 per cent) supporters, but even among Conservative voters nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) express at least some level of concern.
  • Canadians are not demanding a choice between economic growth and climate action. They continue to expect progress on both fronts simultaneously. Only 20 per cent believe climate policies should be eased to focus on economic growth and 26 per cent of those polled would prioritize immediate economic growth even if it means delaying climate action.
  • Recent polling from the Pembina Institute finds that in Alberta, there is misalignment between what the public wants to see on the climate and the government’s agenda. For example, over 60 per cent of respondents don’t want public money being spent on a new pipeline. PM Carney’s Cabinet members have often made reference to the use of public funds.

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Lauren Thomas, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca