Unceded Algonquin Territory — Ottawa, ON — August 24, 2023

“Concern about forests is non-partisan: Canadians from all regions and a wide range of political leanings want the federal government to be a world leader in protecting Canada’s globally significant forests,” said Michael Polanyi of Nature Canada. “Right now, as wildfires ravage communities coast to coast, most Canadians feel their government is failing to deliver on its promise to protect forests.”

The poll’s findings show strong public support for a range of measures to reduce the impacts of logging, including phasing out clearcutting (81% support), requiring companies to pay a carbon price on wood burning (76%), supporting foreign laws to advance sustainable wood harvesting and Indigenous rights (75%), and ensuring more accurate reporting of logging’s greenhouse gas emissions (71%).

Only one in three Canadians think the federal government is delivering on its 2021 election promise to protect old-growth forests.

“Canada’s blind adherence to unsustainable logging at the expense of the climate and biodiversity isn’t just out of step with the science, the marketplace, and global policy trends–it’s contrary to what this poll shows Canadians want,” said Jennifer Skene of NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “The government is obstructing calls for forest protection coming not only internationally, but from within its own borders.”

The poll also shows that most Canadians see a clear link between climate change and wildfires: 64% of respondents said climate change is a key factor in this year’s surge in wildfires.

The poll, commissioned by Nature Canada and NRDC, randomly sampled 1,071 Canadians between July 28 and August 9. It has a margin of error of less than or equal to 3%, 19 times out of 20.

Nature Canada is Canada’s voice for nature. For 80 years, Nature Canada has helped protect over 110 million acres of parks and wildlife areas in Canada and countless species. Today, Nature Canada represents a network of over 130,000 members and supporters and more than 1,000 nature organizations.

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world’s natural resources, public health, and the environment. 

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For more information contact: 

Michael Polanyi
Policy and Campaign Manager, Nature Canada
(343) 553-6060
mpolanyi@naturecanada.ca

Margie Kelly
Senior Strategic Communications Manager, NRDC
(312) 651-7935
mkelly@nrdc.org