The Nature Conservancy of Canada is saying that Canadians care very deeply about the environment.  

A poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) shows 88 per cent of respondents believe all of society — people, government, businesses and communities — needs to work together now to focus on biodiversity loss.  

The survey was conducted between November 23 and 28th of 2022 and the sample size was 2,006 Canadians aged 18 and older.  

Here’s a couple of other stats from that poll:  

  • 88 per cent of respondents say they believe nature conservation is an important tool to counter the effects of climate change 
  • 86 per cent of respondents agreed Canada needs to be acting faster to curb climate change in order to protect the communities we live in 
  • Eight in ten respondents have noticed more floods, tornados and droughts in recent years 
  • Three in four respondents believe their own communities and homes are vulnerable to extreme weather events in coming years 
  • Ninety-five per cent of people say conserving and caring for nature is personally important to them. 
  • Eighty per cent of people are worried that future generations won’t have access to nature close to where they live. 

British Columbia residents were more likely to call for urgency on climate change.  222 Albertans also took part in the survey. 

Here’s a look at how Albertans are responding: 

  • 89% are worried about population decline of many wildlife species. 

  • 88% feel nature conservation is a tangible way to address climate change and biodiversity loss. 

  • 83% say we have to work together to slow the pace of climate change (going with our Whole of Society Messaging) 

  • 80% said they are worried about additional wildfires, droughts 

  • 80% of people are worried about not having access to nature where they live 

  • 77% said it is important to them personally to conserve and care for nature. 

  • 76% say we need to be acting faster to curb climate change to protect the communities in which we live 

  • 75% have noticed more floods and droughts and wildfires in recent years. 

Last week’s release of the Wild Species Report, compiled by the federal, provincial and territorial governments in Canada, shows that more than 2,200 species of plants and animals in Canada are at risk of being lost. 

“These results are energizing, but not unexpected to me. Whenever NCC has announced an ambitious conservation goal, Canadians have been there to help us get there. Now we, as a society, are facing down two massive challenges: nature loss and climate change. When onc accelerates, the other does too. But there is no solution to either without nature conservation. So the challenge before us is clear: we need everyone’s support to stop nature loss and to address the impacts of climate change. Only through a whole-of-society approach can we act with urgency and ambition to tackle these crises,” said Catherine Grenier, President and CEO, Nature Conservancy of Canada 

The Poll results are being presented in Montreal for UN Biodiversity Conference COP15. The summit will be wrapping up on December 19.