Canadians' Attitudes Towards Natural Resources Issues, 2002

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Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Executive Summary
• Detailed Analysis
  • Economic Role of the Resource Sector
  • Environmental Impacts of the Resource Sector
  • Forestry and Mining Sectors
  • Energy Sources and Energy Use
  • Science and Technology in the Resource Sector
• Survey Methodology
• Appendices
  1. Survey Questionnaire
  2. Tabular Results (under separate cover)

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Introduction

Natural resources have always been a fundamental cornerstone of Canada's identity and its prosperity. As the country begins the 21^st century, the resource base itself remains much as it has over the past several generations, but rapid social and economic changes taking place both domestically and abroad are creating new pressures on the country's resource base and the industries these resources support. Canada's resource sector industries are realizing new opportunities for growth while at the same time being pressed to become more competitive. The environmental consequences of resource sector management continue to be an issue on the public agenda that defies straightforward solutions.

While natural resources fall largely within provincial jurisdiction, the federal government carries an important role in setting national objectives, conducting research and developing policies and programs, primarily through Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN). In fulfilling this mandate, NRCAN must ensure that it understands and takes into proper account the opinions, priorities and concerns of the Canadian public, as they relate to forestry, energy, mining and the earth sciences. This objective is accomplished, in part, through public opinion research that serves to guide strategic planning, policy development and communications.

In 1993, the Department (then Energy, Mines and Resources) commissioned a national public opinion survey to measure public opinion across Canada on key energy and resource issues, with the goal of establishing a benchmark against which such opinions could be tracked over time. In 1997, NRCAN repeated this study to identify how public opinions and priorities had changed over the previous four years. This second study incorporated forest sector issues to reflect the inclusion of the Canadian Forestry Service into the Department, drawing upon earlier national surveys conducted by Forestry Canada in 1989 and 1991.

The third wave of this research was commissioned by NRCAN in early 2002, to provide an update on Canadians' attitudes towards key natural resource issues. Public awareness is now identified as a Performance Indicator under Goal 1 of NRCAN's Performance Measurement Framework (Report on Plans and Priorities, 2001-2002). The specific objectives of the 2002 survey are to:

• Continue tracking Canadians' awareness, perceptions and priorities on key natural resource issues, identifying trends from data collected in 1993 and 1997;
• Determine public awareness of the importance and relevance of the natural resource sectors and science and technology;
• Identify regional and demographic differences in public opinion; and
• Provide strategic guidance to departmental planning and communications.

The current survey was designed to replicate the previous surveys conducted in 1993 and 1997, although somewhat shorter in length and with a few minor changes in content. The survey consisted of telephone interviews with a representative sample of 1,502 Canadians (18 years or older), conducted between February 25 and March 3, 2002. A more complete description of the methodology used to conduct this survey is provided at the back of the report.

This report begins with an executive summary and key conclusions, followed by a detailed analysis of the survey findings. Appended to this report is a copy of the survey questionnaire. The survey questions referenced by number in the report for easy reference, and match those in the 1993 and 1997 surveys (where applicable) to facilitate comparisons.

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Executive Summary

The public opinion environment with respect to the natural resource sector has not undergone fundamental change over the past five years. At a broad level, Canadians' attitudes about issues pertaining to the economic contribution of the sector, environmental impacts, energy supply, and science and technology are generally similar to what was recorded in previous surveys conducted in 1993 and 1997. At the same time, however, some discernible shifts in public opinion have taken place since 1997, most important of which is the decline in the importance ascribed to the resource sector generally, and forestry and mining in particular; a drop that reverses gains made earlier in the decade.

Economic Importance of the Resource Sector

As in the past, Canadians continue to identify the resource sector, and forestry in particular, as the most important part of the country's economy. But the preeminence given to this sector has declined noticeably since 1997, both generally but especially in the case of forestry and mining. In terms of which industries have salience as economic drivers of the economy, forestry and mining have been steadily declining (along with agriculture) over the past nine years, as Canadians are increasingly focusing on such industries as oil and gas, and the information technology sector. Five years ago, the resource sector was more than twice as likely as the service sector to be seen as most important (48% versus 19%), but in 2002 this gap has narrowed (41% versus 25%).

The resource sector has lost less ground in terms of how Canadians view its contribution to their provincial economy, and continues to be seen as the dominant sector in western Canada and to a lesser extent in Atlantic Canada and Quebec. Since 1997, however, this sector has lost ground in British Columbia, where the forest industry has experienced a major downturn in the past year.

Part of the reason for the diminishing priority given to the resource sector could well be a lack of progress in changing its image as traditional and reliant on "old fashioned" technology. In comparison with such industries as telecommunications, hydro-electric power and manufacturing, forestry and mining are apt to be seen by Canadians as "low tech" industries, and this view has broadened significantly since 1997, more than wiping out gains achieved during the previous period (1993-1997). The oil and gas industry has been more successful in establishing a "high tech" image, but has also experienced a similar decline over the past five years.

Consistent with these findings, the public is now placing less importance than before on the contribution they expect this sector to play in the Canadian economy over the next 10 years, again reversing a modest upward trend achieved earlier in the decade. Fewer than half of Canadians now believe the forestry (49%) or mining (37%) industries will grow in importance over the next decade, while a more prominent role is given to the oil and gas industry (67%), which has experienced only a marginal decline. The mining industry in particular has lost substantial ground in the public's mind since 1997, in terms of its role as an important source of jobs and a leading edge industry that contributes to the country's image abroad.

By comparison, the hydro-electric power industry continues to enjoy a favoured status among the Canadian public, with more than eight in ten (84%) expecting it to increase its economic contribution in the future. This view is driven in large part by the fact that this industry is widely considered to provide a clean and abundant source of power that both supplies an essential resource to all Canadians, as well as supporting economic growth.

Environmental Impacts of the Resource Sector

While Canadians are somewhat less focused than before on the resource sector as a cornerstone of the economy, they continue to believe these industries are having a significant negative impact on the environment. As before, this perspective varies by industry and the forest sector continues to have the highest profile, with more than four in ten (43%) saying that significant environmental damage is being caused by its operations, while another third (34%) indicate it is responsible for at least moderate damage. Moreover, there is a growing public consensus that forest management practices, such as clear-cutting and over-cutting, are the single greatest threat to the country's forest resources.

Among the most significant trends since 1997 is a growing concern about the environmental impacts of Canada's oil and gas industry, which is now as likely as the forest industry to be seen as causing significant environmental damage (43%). This view has risen across the country, but most noticeably in Quebec and the Prairie provinces (including Alberta). In comparison, Canadians are noticeably less apt to believe such damage is resulting from the operations of the mining industry (25%) or hydro-electric power (21%), opinions that have remained stable over the past five years.

How the public feels about the damage they see resulting from resource sector operations has changed little over the past decade. Those who feel such impacts are taking place continue to be divided on whether or not this damage is acceptable when weighed against the economic benefits these industries provide. However, the balance has tipped slightly since 1997 against accepting such damage, reversing a more positive trend recorded over the previous period. As before, Canadians are most apt to be accepting of the impacts resulting from hydro-electric power generation, while least likely to hold this view about the coal industry. But such distinctions are relative in that all of the industries examined in the survey are seen by a sizeable proportion of Canadians to be causing unacceptable environmental impacts (a view expressed by 25% of the population in the case of hydro-electric power, compared with 42% for the coal industry).

Along with diminishing public acceptance of industry environmental impacts is a marginal decline in the belief that sector industries are committed to reducing the damage caused by their operations. While Canadians continue to be more likely than not to give these industries credit for demonstrating at least a modest level of commitment in this area, they are somewhat less apt to do so than in 1997, reversing modest gains achieved earlier in the decade in every industry except coal. Taken together with the other findings in this survey, these results indicate clearly that the resource sector as a whole has lost ground over the past five years in establishing a public profile as an effective steward of the environmental resources it manages. While this shift has been small to date, it leaves the sector vulnerable to further declines, which could be hastened by future high profile events (e.g. oil spill, clear-cut controversy) that would likely focus public attention and reinforce existing concerns.

Finally, public expectations about industry management of the environment are being driven in part by the belief that reducing environmental impacts makes sound economic and business sense. A strong majority of Canadians continue to believe that industry investment in pollution reduction would make it more competitive (45%) or make no difference on competitiveness (33%). This means that whatever obstacles industries may face in taking the next steps to reduce their impact on the environment, they cannot count on making a convincing case in the court of public opinion for delay based on economic arguments.

Energy Sources and Energy Use

Energy issues continue to be of low salience for most Canadians, as they have been for most of the past 20 years. Among energy specific issues, the public continues to be most concerned about the prices they pay (e.g. for gasoline, heating fuel), with four in ten (41%) saying this is a major concern to them. As before, consumers are less apt to express such concern about the environmental damage resulting from energy generation (31%) or their consumption (30%), while a smaller but growing proportion (23%, up 7 points) are now very concerned about the available supply of energy resources.

Growing concerns about energy supply may be fuelled in part by the emerging issue of exporting domestic resources to feed the growing U.S. market, with close to half (46%) of Canadians saying they are very concerned about this issue (most noticeably in Ontario and western Canada). But this concern may have as much to do about Canada-U.S. relations as about energy supply itself, as the public is now less likely than in 1997 to believe that the country needs to develop new sources of energy over the next 10 to 20 years.

As before, consumers are most apt to recognize the environmental impacts that result from the most visible forms of energy consumption, such as vehicle use and factories. More than six in ten (62%) Canadians now agree that use of automobiles causes major environmental damage, a view that has increased in eastern Canada and Ontario, while declining marginally in the west. The public continues to be much less likely to see such damage resulting from non-manufacturing businesses or from energy consumption in the home. This can be explained, at least in part, by the fact that many Canadians do not understand how their electricity is generated, with most (78%) holding to the belief that their homes are powered by relatively "clean" hydro-electric power. Whether this is a function of ignorance or denial, it is clear that, unlike vehicle pollution, the environmental consequences of electric power generation have not yet been firmly established in the public's consciousness.

Although Canadians have limited understanding of the impacts of electric power generation, the environment commands a clear priority when it comes to developing new sources energy. Those who believe the country needs to develop new sources over the coming decade (65% of the population) state a clear preference for wind, solar and hydro-electric power, which are seen to be both environmentally-friendly and in abundant supply. Cost-effectiveness is given less priority.

Among the issues covered on this survey, the strongest public consensus is around the importance of the federal government taking an active role to promote energy conservation among consumers and businesses. More than eight in ten (84%) Canadians continue to express this view, which is widely held across the country. What has changed since 1997 is a growing interest in the use of tax incentives as a means of promoting such change (now the favoured option of 29%, up 12 percentage points), now more popular than education campaigns (27%) and well ahead of options involving tougher appliance standards (17%) or further scientific research to improve energy efficiency (19%). Economic incentives have grown in popularity across most segments of the population, but most widely among those with higher incomes, who stand to gain most from this approach.

Science and Technology

The public is generally positive about Canada's record in science and technology innovation relative to other industrialized nations, with one-quarter (24%) placing us among the leaders, while most of the remainder (49%) believe we are close behind. However, this view has remained flat over the past five years, following modest progress earlier in the decade. As before, those who believe Canada lags behind other countries are most apt to attribute this to our country spending less on S&T, or being slower to change, although an increasing number focus on other countries simply being more advanced.

In terms of where the leadership comes from in developing S&T domestically, Canadians increasingly see universities making the greatest contribution, followed by large businesses and corporations. By comparison, relatively few believe the federal government is playing the lead role, but this is consistent with the public's expectation that government's role should be to support the activities of other sectors rather than undertake this work directly. At the same time, it is apparent that the federal government's S&T activities to do not enjoy the same level of profile as those of other sectors, and so its contribution is likely under-appreciated.

This low profile notwithstanding, the survey also reveals that Canadians are increasingly looking to the federal government to focus its S&T efforts on improving the quality of life for Canadians rather than on making the economy more competitive. This represents a substantial shift since 1993, when the public's priorities were reversed. This trend reflects the current positive economic conditions, along with growing public concerns about quality of life issues such as health care, education and transportation. Now that deficits, employment and inflation are well under control, Canadians are telling the government to pay attention to other areas that affect them directly.

Information Sources on Natural Resources

Over the past few years, the Internet has emerged as a leading medium and source of information among Canadians generally, and is now where the public is most apt to go to learn about natural resource issues of interest. Close to half (46%) of all Canadians identify the web as where they would go for such information, up from only 12 percent just five years ago. The popularity of the web is particularly notable given that only six in ten Canadians currently have ongoing access to the Internet. This source is increasingly replacing libraries and the traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers), while government remains largely stable as a secondary source of information about topics such as natural resources.

While Natural Resources Canada does not figure prominently "top of mind" among Canadians, it continues to enjoy a high degree of credibility, with close to half (49%) naming it as a very important source of information about natural resource topics, ahead of the federal government generally (40%), local libraries (32%) and provincial or municipal governments (32%). This positioning (perhaps as much a function of the Department's name as with direct experience), provides a solid foundation for communications and education initiatives.

Regional and Demographic Patterns

As with the previous surveys, Canadian public opinion on natural resource issues is generally consistent across the country. There are indeed distinct and in some cases predictable regional differences in viewpoints about some issues, such as the relative importance of specific industries (e.g. forestry in B.C., hydro-electricity in Quebec).

As well, some differences reflect recent developments in the sector, such as the growth of the oil and gas industry in Atlantic Canada and the downturn in forestry in B.C. (where residents are shifting their focus to the service sector). Over the past five years, residents of the Prairie provinces have become more focused on the economic importance of the oil and gas sector, but at the same time have become more concerned about the environmental impacts of this industry (although this concern does not appear to extend to the impacts of consumption in the form of vehicle pollution).

As before, citizens with higher socio-economic status (more education and income) are somewhat more informed about resource issues and tend to have higher expectations for both government and industry.

Yet on many of the key issues covered in this survey (e.g. the future importance of the sector, environmental impacts, energy concerns and S&T innovation), the similarities in viewpoints are more notable than the differences, and the overall conclusions drawn from the nation-wide picture are equally applicable to each identifiable region and demographic sub-group. These results suggest that, as before, most future communications and education initiatives should be targeted broadly rather than to narrowly-defined segments of the population.

Recommendations

Based on the results and conclusions drawn from this survey, the following recommendations focused on strategic communications are presented for the Department's consideration:

1. Address the public's declining view of the resource sector's contribution to the economy.
    
   Whether the diminishing public focus on the economic contribution of the resource sector is happening because of how Canadians are perceiving these industries or because their focus is being drawn to other sectors (e.g. information technology) is unclear. But in either case, it is a trend is likely to continue unless steps are taken to reverse it.
    
   Whether this is done for the sector as a whole or for specific resource industries, it is important to communicate to the public the fundamentally important role these industries play in the economy at the national, provincial and even local level, both now and into the forseeable future. Communications messages need to stress both the current strengths of these industries (e.g. employment, contribution to exports) as well as address the perceived weaknesses, in terms of resource management, environmental performance and the use of advanced technology.
    
   Forestry and mining require particular attention, as their public image has suffered the most over the past five years. The oil and gas industry is better positioned in terms of its economic importance, but at the same time rising concerns about environmental impacts is a trend that may have to be addressed.
    
2. Build awareness of the federal government's role in promoting science and technology, both generally and specifically in transforming Canada's resource sector.
    
   The public has little understanding of the government's role in supporting S&T innovation generally, and little progress has been over the past five years in building such awareness. This suggests that new communications initiatives may be warranted, as well as an in-depth evaluation of those that have already been undertaken. Canadians clearly value science and technology, support government involvement in this area, and would almost certainly endorse government initiatives directed at making resource industries more competitive and environmentally-sustainable.
    
   Building public awareness of the government's activity in this area will give both NRCAN and the government a broader positive profile, while at the same time contributing to a stronger image of the industry as innovative and responsible.
    
3. Continue to focus on increasing Canadians' awareness of energy issues, especiallythe impacts of their own consumption.
    
   The current public opinion climate presents a significant challenge in terms of attracting the public's attention to energy issues, and in particular the implications of their own consumption patterns. Awareness levels have changed little since 1997, and further progress will be difficult to achieve barring dramatic events (e.g. energy shortages, severe price hikes). The difficulty is well illustrated by the lack of progress achieved over the past few years in mobilizing public awareness and action in the case of climate change, despite a concerted communications effort over the past several years.
    
   This challenge notwithstanding, the Department remains well positioned to take a lead role in educating Canadians about important energy issues. Collaboration with other sectors (e.g. provinces, utilities, gasoline companies) offers a valuable way to leverage limited resources and to demonstrate inter-sector cooperation rather than conflict, with which the public has little patience.
    
4. Make greater use of the Internet to communicate with Canadians about energy and natural resource issues, but not at the expense of traditional media.
    
   With the Internet now becoming an increasingly important means by which Canadians are informing themselves about almost everything, the Department should ensure that it makes full use of this medium as part of its education and communications initiatives. Making relevant information available on the web is an essential step, but equally important is the need to build the public's interest in looking for such information and to develop an awareness of what resources are available so that people know where to find them.
    
   Finally, as important as the Internet may be, it is critical to keep in mind that not all Canadians have either access or the comfort level required to make effective use of this medium. Older citizens and those with less education and income are much less apt to use the web, and this gap is unlikely to change noticeably over the next few years. As well, Quebecers are noticeably less likely than other Canadians to use the web (in part because there is less French language content), and a different strategy may be called for in this province.
    
   It is therefore important to maintain (and possibly expand) information and resource material available through more traditional media, such as printed booklets. TV ads and newspaper inserts will continue to be effective tools in both educating the public and drawing attention to further resources (e.g. those available on the web).
    
5. Continue to track public opinion over time, to monitor trends, evaluate initiatives and address emerging issues.
    
   This survey provides an important benchmark of Canadian public opinion on key issues of particular relevance to the Department, and how attitudes have evolved over the past decade. While the research shows that public attitudes have not been changing significantly over the past decade, it has revealed some important trends that have important implications for both policy and communications. This research program needs to be maintained, in order to continue monitoring opinions over time to detect and respond to future changes, whether these result from gradual shifts in public priorities or from major events (e.g. energy shortages).
    
   Because this benchmark survey is only conducted every four to five years, the Department should also consider additional research studies to address short term issues that may emerge, as well as to evaluate specific communications initiatives that have been launched. This might take the form of full-scale customized surveys, syndicated research services, commissioning dedicated questions on existing omnibus surveys, and qualitative research (e.g. focus groups) as needed.
    
   Finally, as important as it is to conduct this type of research, it is also essential that NRCAN establish and maintain the appropriate internal processes for coordinating and utilizing this research throughout the Department, in order to realize its full value. In addition to commissioning its own research, the Department should take steps to identify and more fully utilize where possible research on relevant topics conducted elsewhere in the federal government.

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