Action on climate change backed: poll
The NDP government’s push to phase-out coal-fired electricity has strong support among Albertans, who also want to see more renewable power, says a new poll commissioned by the Pembina Institute, an environmental think-tank.
Premier Rachel Notley, in New York this week promising stronger action on climate change than previous Conservative governments, appears to be in tune with the majority of Albertans, the EKOS poll shows.
More than 70 per cent of Albertans surveyed said they support investment in renewable energy to reduce reliance on coal, with only 19 per cent opposed, according to the survey of 1,855 Albertans conducted Aug. 28 to Sept. 10.
Also, 86 per cent said Alberta “should do more” to invest in and support development of clean energy and clean technology.
“That’s a really a strong consensus,” said the Simon Dyer of the Pembina Institute.
“The poll says we no longer want to be an outlier with a dirty electricity supply, and phasing out coal is a tangible way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Alberta gets about 55 per cent of its electricity from coal plants, which are the province’s secondlargest emitters of greenhouse gases after the oilsands. Alberta burns more coal than the rest of Canada combined.
In addition, the poll showed 50 per cent of those polled supported an economywide carbon tax (used in British Columbia) as opposed to an Alberta style levy that applies only to greenhousegas polluting industries, says the poll. But 38 per cent are opposed to such a tax.
However, support for an economywide carbon tax jumped to 72 per cent when the revenue would go into infrastructure and community projects to reduce carbon emissions. It dropped to 20 per cent when tied to lowering income taxes.
As for the oilsands, where carbon emissions are still growing, just over half of those polled want stronger carbon reduction measures and about half Albertans want the oilsands industry to stay at its current level and not expand.
Fifty-three per cent of those polled said they support stronger climate change policies even if they mean higher costs for oilsands producers at this time, according to the poll. But 34 per cent are opposed.
“Most Albertans don’t think low oil prices are a reason to avoid taking action,” said Dyer. “The environment is a critical issue, not just a luxury, when oil prices are high.”
The poll also shows most people (66 per cent) blame the province’s lack of diversification — and not the Notley government’s recent tax increases or royalty review — for the current economic downturn. Twenty-seven per cent blamed it on the new government’s actions.
When asked whether the province should work to diversify the economy or “make it easier fort the oil and gas industry,” 66 per cent chose diversification.
A substantial minority, 29 per cent, said the government should make the oil and gas industry more competitive.
“Albertans realize we are vulnerable if we put so many eggs in the oilsands basket,” said Dyer.
Albertans are divided on how much bigger the oilsands industry should become. It produces 2.3 million barrels a day and there are projections it could double production.
Forty-eight per cent of those polled said the industry should not expand further, while 43 per cent said production should grow.
Dyer said he was not surprised to find such strong support for a major shift in environmental and energy policy after years of Conservative policies. Previously polling has shown that Albertans have long supported stronger environmental rules, he said.
But Conservative governments never have had a public discussion about climate change where Albertans could express their views, he said. Governments talked only to industry players, and “incumbent industries have a strong voice,” he said.
Albertans are aware that an economywide carbon tax could make things more expensive for consumers as well as companies, said Dyer.
It’s important to note that their least favourite option was using a carbon tax to reduce personal income tax — only 20 per cent of those polled supported that option, he said.
Just five months into the Notley premiership, Albertans are evenly divided about whether the new government is heading in the right direction with climate policy.
About 36 per cent say the government is headed in the right direction, 31 per cent say it is going the wrong way and 33 per cent don’t know, according to the poll.
“That reflects the fact we have not yet seen the climate strategy still be worked on,” said Dyer.
Half of the poll was conducted by telephone, and half by online panel. It has a margin of error of 2.28 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The poll says we no longer want to be an outlier with a dirty electricity supply ...