A majority of Canadians urgently want the federal government to lead a national conversation about the energy sector and the environment, according to a new poll from Nanos Research.

The poll suggests Canadians are looking for a more moderate voice in the oft-polarizing debate between Canadian environmental groups and the oil and gas giants of the energy sector.

According to the poll, 78 per cent of Canadians think the federal government should lead the national debate, rather than allowing provincial governments to spearhead the conversation. Eight in 10 Canadians say it’s urgent or somewhat urgent to have a national conversation about energy and the environment, while almost nine of 10 Canadians say it’s important or somewhat important to co-operate with the United States on the issue.

And while most Canadians are united in their desire to talk about energy and the environment, the Nanos poll suggests they are divided over the finer points in the debate.

Poll respondents were split on whether First Nations groups should be allowed to block pipeline construction, with a slight edge in favour of supporting it. Canadians surveyed for the poll were asked to gauge their measure of support for First Nations being able to stop proposed pipeline construction in their territory. About 31 per cent of respondents said they supported First Nations, 19 per cent somewhat supported them, 31 per cent opposed pipeline-blocking measures and 15 per cent somewhat opposed the action.

Pipelines remain a top concern for environmentalists, but the Nanos poll suggests Canadians still see pipelines as the most environmentally responsible option available to transport oil. Sixty-two per cent of respondents said pipelines were the most environmentally responsible method, which far outstrips all other options on the list. Train transport was a distant second at eight per cent, followed by truck (three per cent) and oil tanker (two per cent).

Twenty-four per cent of respondents were unsure which method was safest for the environment.

Nanos Research randomly recruited 1,000 Canadians for the survey through cellphone and land-line calls, then directed them to an online questionnaire. Results were weighted by age and gender, and collected so as to represent all parts of Canada.

Results are considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The poll was commissioned by the Globe and Mail newspaper.