Survey: 81% of Quebecers want municipalities to take action on climate

A Léger poll conducted a month before the municipal elections shows that 81 per cent of Quebecers believe it is important for their municipality to take action to combat climate change, an issue that is of greater concern to older people.

On Nov. 2, all municipalities in Quebec will hold elections, and according to a survey published Thursday, 88 per cent of women, compared to 73 per cent of men, believe it is important for municipalities to take action to prevent and adapt to climate change.

“This is still fairly overwhelming support for municipal action on the issue of combating climate change, with almost no opposition. The government may be tired of hearing about the climate, but not the population,” said Christian Savard, executive director of Vivre en ville, a member organization of Vire au vert.

The Vire au vert group aims to put environmental issues “at the heart of elections in Quebec and Canada.”

More of an issue for older people

The poll commissioned by the Copticom agency also indicates that Quebecers aged 55 and over (85 per cent) are more likely than young people aged 18 to 34 (76 per cent) to consider the fight against climate change an important issue in the municipal elections.

“Young people bear the brunt of many crises,” such as “economic insecurity and the cost of housing,” which could explain why they are “a little less sensitive,” commented the executive director of Vivre en ville.

“But we mustn’t forget that we’re talking about a few percentage points,” added Savard.

“The 12 Tasks”

The survey shows support for the proposals of the platform “The 12 Tasks of Our Communities,” presented by Vivre en ville last spring.

For example, 78 per cent of respondents agree to support proposals to “support local food” in the municipal elections, and 71 per cent would also support proposals to “better protect natural environments, particularly by curbing urban sprawl.”

Among those surveyed, 66 per cent agree to support proposals to “preserve ecological corridors that constitute green and blue networks to protect biodiversity.”

A smaller proportion of 55 per cent would like municipal officials to give “more space to walking and cycling to promote a physically active lifestyle.”

Respondents aged 18 to 34 (58 per cent) would be more supportive of active transportation than those aged 55 and over (53 per cent).

Support for cycling and walking is also higher among university graduates (61 per cent) than among those with a college diploma (52 per cent).

Residents of the Quebec City region (28 per cent) are more likely to strongly disagree with increasing active transportation than those in Montreal (20 per cent) and other regions (15 per cent).

“The goal of this survey is to show elected officials that talking about the environment and taking action for the environment is a win-win situation,” and “we hope to hear more candidates talk about the environment during the elections,” commented Alice-Anne Simard, Executive Director of Nature Québec, an organization that is also part of Vire au vert.

The survey was conducted from Oct. 3 to 5, 2025, among 1,010 people.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews