About Re.Climate
Re.Climate is Canada’s go-to centre for training, research, and strategy on climate change communications and public engagement. Based at Carleton University, we provide strategic services to help practitioners reach new audiences, overcome polarization, communicate urgency, and motivate change.
Project team
Project partner: Abacus Data
Research, analysis, author: Dr. Louise Comeau, Senior Advisor
Reviewers: Amber Bennett, Dr. Ghadah Alrasheed, Re.Climate
Copy editing: Jennifer Mayville, Re.Climate
Design: Leigh Peterson, justafrog.net
Method
National survey of 4,232 Canadians in partnership with Abacus Data, fielded in English and French from September 12 to 19, 2025. All results are reported at the 95 per cent confidence level (p = <.05). Totals may not add to 100 due to rounding. The data is weighted by age, gender, education and region. Three focus groups were held on November 18 to 19, 2025, with participants from Nova Scotia and Ontario.
Limitations
Panel-based surveys are not probabilistic samples. They rely on self-selected survey respondents. Large samples, however, when weighted, have been generally representative.
Citation
Comeau, L. (2025). Canadians (still) care about climate change: Closing the perception gap on climate concern and action. Re.Climate. Carleton University. Ottawa.
Climate change may not be top of mind, according to pollsters, due to cost-of-living and other concerns, but that does not mean Canadians are not concerned or that they don’t expect their political leaders to keep their promises to take further action. According to Re.Climate’s latest national survey, Canadians are:
- Proud of becoming a renewable energy superpower:
- Seven in 10 feel pride in Canada becoming a renewable energy superpower.
- These results include a majority of Albertans (56 per cent) and 79 per cent of people living in Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Seven in 10 feel pride in Canada becoming a renewable energy superpower.
- Looking for leadership:
- Sixty-five per cent want leaders to keep their promise to take more action on climate change.
- Seven in 10 agree that Canada should regulate polluters causing climate change.
- Concerned about climate change and confident we can solve it if we work together:
- Three-quarters are concerned about climate change and believe that future generations will be harmed.
- Three-quarters are optimistic that it is still possible to reverse its consequences.
- Nearly seven in 10 agree that if everyone does their bit, we can tackle its causes.
We also find that positive frames, such as “Time to Build,” increase support for large-scale wind and transmission projects, while a “Pollution Blanket” frame, which explains the causes and consequences of climate change, increases support for wind power in Alberta and Manitoba. Canadians show a strong preference for future-oriented and positive framing of the energy transition, with a majority more likely to agree that growth in our economy and careers will be driven by the transition to electricity to power our lives. This phenomenon has been described by Ember as the “Electrotech Revolution.”
The challenging news is that while 42 per cent of Canadians think about addressing climate change at least weekly, they believe other Canadians do so only 33 per cent of the time and their neighbours only 26 per cent of the time. That is a 16 per cent perception gap between what Canadians think and what they believe their neighbours think. Combined with minimal media coverage, and waning public discussion by political leaders about the need to address climate change, a climate silence has fallen over Canada.
Closing this perception gap is important because research shows that when people believe they are in the minority, they are more hesitant to talk about an issue. This hesitancy creates a “spiral of silence” that can be broken by letting Canadians know they are concerned about climate change, highlighting personally relevant risks, profiling social norms, and increasing media coverage.
We also see the effects of misinformation and disinformation targeting climate change. Over one-third of Canadians somewhat or strongly agree that the effects of climate change are seriously exaggerated and one in five agree that climate change is a hoax.
We find predictable and surprising demographic differences in the results. Predictably, vote intention and provincial location influence results. Surprisingly, we see stage-of-life differences between younger and older Canadians. Canadians over 60 years of age, for example, are much more inclined to disagree that the effects of climate change are seriously exaggerated and to disagree that climate change is a hoax, compared with 18-to-29-year-olds. We also find that younger Canadians are far less inclined to agree that polluters causing climate change should be regulated, compared with older Canadians.
- Make closing the perception gap a priority.
Make climate concern visible locally, provincially and nationally to strengthen descriptive norms (the belief that others behave in this way). Strengthening descriptive norms can help reduce Canadians’ hesitation to speak out and to speak with one another. Highlight that 75 per cent of Canadians are concerned about climate change. That figure represents 31 million Canadians. Let Canadians know that over 17 million of them think about climate change at least weekly. Doing this helps close the perception gap and reduces the spiral of silence that suppresses public discussion. - Normalize talking about climate change and demonstrate collection action.
Invest in campaigns that encourage conversations among neighbours, families, and co-workers. Profile people talking to each other about climate change. Reducing the perception gap is a priority if we are to remove the climate silence settling over Canada. - Profile strong public expectations that leaders keep their climate promises.
Strengthen expectations to behave in a certain way by profiling that most Canadians want leaders to keep their promises, even when climate policies are difficult to implement. Communicate to political leaders that Canadians expect them to follow through on their climate commitments. - Emphasize that regulation of polluters is a social expectation.
With seven in ten Canadians supporting regulation of polluters, confidently frame regulation as aligned with mainstream public values, fairness, and accountability. Seventy per cent of Canadians represent 29 million people. Use this information to counter efforts to frame government regulation as overreach, particularly as federal and provincial governments negotiate a new industrial carbon pricing regime. - Position renewable energy as a source of national pride and identity.
Promote the finding that 70 per cent of Canadians feel prouder about Canada becoming a renewable energy superpower than an oil and gas superpower. Pride-based framing resonates and can help build social acceptance for energy transition projects. - Frame messaging and stories around positive, future-oriented Time to Build.
Frame the energy transition as an opportunity to build economic security, careers, and improve affordability. The Time-to-Build frame significantly increases support for wind and transmission projects across most regions and population segments. Focus group participants responded favourably to it, but do not overstate or overhype the potential. Be open, honest about the work ahead and defend the right of community residents to be involved in decision-making relating to energy transition projects and to receive community benefits. - Tailor frames to regions.
Use the “Pollution Blanket” frame in places like Alberta, Manitoba and rural areas, where it produces larger increases in support for wind and transmission infrastructure. Note that in some provinces like Nova Scotia, where support for wind is already high, that any narrative had a dampening effect on support. More testing is required in Nova Scotia. We can also expect that as provinces and communities move from discussions to specific proposals that support may fall, but can rise again once projects are operational if trust is built through effective engagement of residents and there are community benefits that are perceived as fair. - Test populist or grievance-based framing, as it may heighten economic anxiety.
The Unfair frame backfired increasing support for sticking with the existing energy system for some demographics and provinces. This research indicates that populist framing may undermine support for the energy transmission, rather than build it. Test, test, test before using and consider the longer-term impacts beyond immediate campaign interests. - Counter misinformation and disinformation.
The growing share of Canadians who believe that the effects of climate change are exaggerated and that climate change is a hoax demands repeated correction. - Build personal and collective efficacy.
Messaging should reinforce that climate change is solvable and that collective action matters. Tell Canadians that 31 million of them (74 per cent) believe the consequences of climate change can still be reversed and 28 million of them (67 per cent) believe we can solve climate change if everyone does their bit.
