A strong majority of Quebecers believe that there is an urgent need to act against global warming. But at the same time, the feeling of helplessness and “fatigue” in relation to the reality of this crisis is growing, notes the most recent version of the Climate Action Barometer, a project led by researchers from the ‘Laval University.
According to the results of this fifth edition, which were published Tuesday, no less than 85% of the population of Quebec consider that there is an urgent need to act, and as many citizens believe that delaying action will worsen the consequences of the crisis.
And even if they are much less numerous (21%) to believe that global warming represents “a short-term threat” to themselves, Quebecers believe, as a general rule, that it is important to “take measures » to protect the “most vulnerable” citizens from the repercussions of the crisis. In short, to plan adaptation measures.
This awareness of the need to adapt goes hand in hand with an increase in the share of citizens (21%) who judge that “it is useless to act in Quebec, because it is other large countries which issue the no more greenhouse gases. The same proportion (21%) of Quebecers consider that “it is too late” to fight against climate disruption, compared to 17% in 2021. And nearly one in four people conclude that it is “too complex” to take action, compared to 24% in 2021.
“Climate fatigue”
This report, produced by the Research Group on Climate Marketing Communication at Laval University in collaboration with the media Onepointfivenotes this year an increase in “climate fatigue”.
An increasingly large share of the population thus declares feeling helpless (68%), an increase of six percentage points since 2021. Conversely, optimism is experiencing a gradual decline, going from 73% in 2021 to 66% in 2023. Overall, almost one in three people (31%) say they are “tired of hearing about climate change”.
What’s more, 54% of Quebecers believe they have felt eco-anxiety over the past year when thinking about the threat of climate change and the ecological crisis. Compared to last year, more Quebecers say they often or almost always experience nervousness, worry or anxiety, fear and worry about the future of humanity.
“The climate crisis has significant effects on the psychological health of the population. For example, we observe that 15% of 18 to 34 year olds report having often or almost always had difficulty enjoying social situations with their family or friends due to climate change over the last year (+7 points compared to to 2022)”, also note the researchers.
Do more
“One of the antidotes to these worrying trends is to instill a dose of lucid hope. To do this, we must remember that there are solutions to avoid the worst climate scenario, act commensurate with the seriousness of the situation and effectively communicate the benefits that can be gained,” underlines Valériane Champagne St-Arnaud, professor of marketing at Laval University and coordinator of the Climate Action Barometer.
Moreover, 71% of Quebecers say they are ready “to do more for the climate”. But how ? According to the results published on Tuesday, the process will still be long to transform our choices in terms of transport. Thus, the personal car dominates, appearing at the forefront of daily travel modes (71%), well ahead of public transport (13%) and active transport (9%).
Very effective behaviors to reduce the climate footprint of Quebecers “are slow to be adopted,” specifies the report. For example, the proportion of people who say they are reducing their meat consumption has remained virtually unchanged over the past five years (43% in 2019 compared to 42% in 2023). Also, only one in two people say they limit the use of gasoline cars as much as possible. This observation has been stable since 2021.
However, other actions are an integral part of citizens’ daily lives, such as reducing waste, using reusable products and purchasing local products.
And over the last five years, one observation has remained: “a strong majority” of Quebecers believe that businesses should do more to fight climate change, just like individuals, the federal government, the provincial government and municipalities.
“Techno-optimistic”
In terms of large-scale solutions, “the population paradoxically endorses more and more beliefs likely to harm the adoption of measures to combat global warming”. Nearly one in two people (44%) “adhere to a techno-optimistic vision” of the climate fight, believing that technologies will solve the problem.
Certainly, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recognizes the usefulness of technological solutions, but it also emphasizes the importance of adopting radical transformations in our lifestyles, such as the redevelopment of cities, the reduction from the use of fossil fuels, the shift towards a plant-based diet or even changes in our modes of transport. “Techno-optimism can help slow down such transformations,” the report says.
Furthermore, climate skepticism has increased in Quebec in recent years, the researchers note after analyzing the results presented in this report, which come from an online questionnaire survey carried out among a representative sample of 2,000 people. Thus, 17% of the population consider that climate change is “a natural phenomenon”, and 14% believe that climate change “is not scientifically proven”. These proportions were 8% and 5% respectively in 2019. These trends resemble those observed elsewhere in the world.