Economy now a top concern ahead of environmental protection, new poll says

A new report suggests more Canadians are shifting focus away from climate change toward economic growth and pipeline development.

Albertans strongly support pipeline development and increasingly prioritize economic growth over environmental protection, according to new Angus Reid poll.

The report also suggests the rest of Canada is moving closer to Alberta’s long-held views on energy infrastructure.

The survey finds 74 per cent of Albertans believe economic growth should take precedence over environmental protection when governments make decisions about energy and resource development.

Twenty-six per cent say environmental protection should come first.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

Nationally, Canadians are more divided, with 61 per cent prioritizing economic growth and 39 per cent favouring environmental protection.

Jon Roe, a research associate with the Angus Reid Institute, says the shift marks a significant change from previous years, when Canadians more commonly prioritized climate and environmental concerns.

“And now we’re seeing more people say that the economic growth should be a bigger priority,” Roe said.

Roe says Canadians are increasingly worried about economic threats coming from the United States and are more focused on economic growth than in previous years.

The poll also suggests affordability concerns dominate public priorities across the country.

Fifty-eight per cent of Canadians identify cost of living as one of the top issues facing the country, ahead of health care and housing affordability.

Climate change ranks considerably lower among public concerns, with just 15 per cent of Canadians identifying it as a top national issue in the survey.

Alex Walker with Environmental Defence says the Angus Reid polling shows significant generational differences on the issue, with younger Canadians still more likely to prioritize environmental protection over economic growth.

“The majority of people 18 to 24 far support environment, protecting our environment over economic growth,” Walker said.

Walker says lower rankings for climate change do not necessarily mean Canadians no longer care about the issue.

“People still care about climate change,” Walker said.

Walker argues affordability concerns and environmental protection are being framed as opposing priorities when they do not have to be.

“And that is not a division that needs to exist,” Walker said.

“We can absolutely build, and build in a way that does both, that builds the environment while also improving our, kind of, energy transition and building a clean economy for Canadians.”

Walker also questioned whether Canadians are receiving the full picture about LNG pipeline development and who benefits economically from the projects.

“A lot of these LNG projects are owned by foreign companies,” Walker said.

“So that’s a really important factor. If we’re giving support to these projects, there may be some benefit coming through royalties to Canada, but the vast majority of these profits are going offshore to foreign-owned companies.”

The survey also finds Alberta remains among the strongest pipeline-supporting regions in Canada.

Seventy per cent of Albertans surveyed support Enbridge’s proposed Westcoast LNG pipeline expansion project, including 38 per cent who say they “strongly support” it.

Nine per cent oppose the project, while 21 per cent say they are unsure.

The federally approved expansion would increase capacity on Enbridge’s Westcoast natural gas pipeline system, which transports natural gas from northeastern British Columbia to the Lower Mainland and would also supply the Woodfibre LNG project near Squamish.

The poll also finds 64 per cent of Albertans believe the federal government is doing too little to build new pipeline capacity, while 24 per cent say Ottawa’s approach is about right and 12 per cent say governments are pushing too hard on pipeline development.

Roe says that represents a softening of Alberta attitudes toward Ottawa compared with previous pipeline debates.

“In 2019, which was right around the time where the Trans Mountain expansion was kind of approved and started getting going, half of Canadians said that the federal government was still doing too little to push, to build pipeline capacity. In Alberta, it was 83 per cent in the province said that,” Roe said.

Roe says Albertans are now more likely to say Ottawa’s overall approach to pipelines has been about right.

He adds the findings suggest Canadians outside Alberta are becoming more supportive of pipeline projects than in the past.

“There is a broad broader support for pipelines than we have seen in the past,” he said.

“For Albertans, it seems like a lot of the rest of the country is somewhat caught up to the public opinion in Alberta on pipelines, compared to, like, 10 years ago.”

The Angus Reid Institute conducted the online survey between April 24 and April 28, 2026, among 2,360 Canadian adults recruited from the Angus Reid Forum. The organization says a probability sample of that size carries a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Readers can view the full report and detailed data tables at the Angus Reid Institute survey page.