A survey conducted earlier this year on Edmontonians’ perceptions and attitudes toward climate change found that Edmontonians agree that climate change is a concern, that climate change is caused mostly by human activities and that we need to act now.
The annual Climate and Energy Perceptions Survey was conducted by Narrative Research from June to July 2022. This general population panel survey had a sample of 1,008 Edmontonians.
For the sixth consecutive year, the survey shows that people’s attitudes towards climate change are unwavering, despite the many challenges we’ve encountered during the pandemic and amidst the ongoing environmental, social and economic challenges we face.
Economy
The survey also found:
• 72 per cent of respondents agree that investing in energy efficiency provides job opportunities for the city.
• 69 per cent agree that transitioning to renewable energy sources provides job opportunities for the city.
• 64 per cent agree that efforts to prevent climate change present economic opportunities for Edmonton.
Actions of individuals
Those surveyed agreed that their individual actions contribute to the global impacts of climate change (66 per cent), that Edmontonians should be doing more (69 per cent) and that they want to do more personally to help prevent climate change (68 per cent).
The survey also showed that 76 per cent of respondents indicate that they believe energy efficiency is important in buildings. Edmontonians continue to show an interest in solar PV with 29 per cent indicating a likelihood of installing solar panels on their home in the next three years (up from 20 per cent in 2021).
In terms of transportation, 30 per cent plan to buy an electric vehicle for their next vehicle purchase (up from 21 per cent in 2021) and 24 per cent are likely to purchase an electric bicycle in the next three years (up from 13 per cent in 2021).
Edmontonians clearly see the connection between climate change and actions such as taking public transit, cycling or walking; conserving energy use at home; having solar panels to generate electricity; and being a wise consumer.
Ready to take action yourself? Check out Change for Climate.
Actions of the City
Consistent with 2021, 47 per cent of respondents want the City to increase its efforts to address the issue of climate change, while 23 per cent want the City to maintain the efforts it is already taking. Regarding the current climate change efforts, 45 per cent feel the City is taking the right actions (up 3 per cent from 2021).
And the City of Edmonton IS responding. The City has been a leader in providing incentives for climate change mitigation in residential and commercial buildings. Programs such as the Home Energy Retrofit Accelerator, and the recently over-subscribed Solar Rebate and Building Energy Retrofit Accelerator programs, have helped catalyze the industry and provide incentives to move Edmontonians to take action.
The City is actively purchasing renewable energy for City Operations (100 per cent of which will be produced renewably starting in 2024), upgrading City facilities to higher efficiency standards (with 28 buildings now either BOMA BEST certified or in the process of becoming BOMA BEST certified, solar pv on City facilities, and building to net-zero facilities), expansion of the LRT system and deploying the first hydrogen fuel-cell bus, alongside 60 new battery-electric buses. As part of its policy to support vulnerable people during extreme weather events, the City has piloted the use of five publicly available water bottle filling stations.
To learn more about the City’s aggressive climate action goals and plans, check out the Energy Transition Strategy and Action Plan as well as Climate Resilient Edmonton: Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan.
As Edmontonians show us every day, we can all make a Change for Climate.
Read the full report.
Editor’s note: the pic at the top of the post shows the North Saskatchewan River near the Fort Edmonton Footbridge in autumn 2022.