The survey of 1,045 Canadians conducted for the Positive Energy program by Nanos Research found Canadians see great potential for energy exports beyond the United States.
"We launched Positive Energy to strengthen public and investor confidence in energy decision-making over a decade ago, a time when virtually all of Canada's energy exports went to the United States" explains Monica Gattinger, Founding Chair of Positive Energy, Director of the Institute for Science, Society and Policy, and Full Professor at the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa.
"Now, in the face of ongoing trade tensions with the US, these results show that Canadians want to diversify Canada's energy export destinations and are looking to Europe and Asia as priority markets. Canadians are also most likely to say energy is the sector with the greatest potential to help the Carney government achieve its goal of doubling the country's exports to non-US destinations."
With affordability concerns up, Canadians have steadily been prioritizing the economy over the environment. This year, numbers have completely flipped to leave environmental and climate priorities at their lowest point ever. Other survey highlights include:
- One-in-five Canadians say now is the worst time to be climate ambitious.
- A quarter of Canadians rate their level of concern over energy prices as 10 out of 10 (10 being the highest).
- Three-in-five Canadians believe government investment in energy infrastructure should focus on domestic consumption and exports.
- Confidence in Canadians to change their behavior to reduce greenhouse emissions is low; confidence is even lower in corporations changing their policies to meet targets.
"With heightened trade and cost of living anxiety, Canadians are increasingly prioritizing the economy over the environment, with nearly three in five saying the priority should be economic growth and jobs, even if the environment suffers to some extent," says Nik Nanos, President and Chief Data Scientist of Nanos Research, and Chair of the Positive Energy Advisory Council. "They're also much more likely to say that Canada should be on par with other major economies when it comes to meeting climate targets, rather than be in the lead."
The Positive Energy program uses the convening power of the university to bring together academic researchers and senior decision-makers from industry, government, Indigenous communities, local communities and environmental organizations to determine how to strengthen public confidence in energy decision-making. This survey was conducted between October 27 to 30, 2025.
