Clean Energy Canada | Most British Columbians want clean energy, not fossil fuels: poll
April 24, 2014

Business in Vancouver coverage of our recent poll conducted in partnership with the Pembina Institute and Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions. Here’s a copy of the original article by Tyler Orton: 

Despite efforts from Victoria to promote the liquefied natural gas industry, a new poll finds most British Columbians want to ditch fossil fuels in favour of clean energy alternatives.

The April 24 survey found 78% of B.C. residents either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the idea the province should help prevent climate change by moving away from fossil fuels to cleaner sources of energy.

Furthermore, 75% of respondents at least partially agreed B.C. could strengthen the economy if it embraced clean alternatives, according to the poll commissioned by Pembina Institute, Clean Energy Canada and the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions.

Pembina spokesman Kevin Suave said that last response wouldn’t have been very likely 10 or 15 years ago.

“It was surprising to see that so many British Columbians are in fact keen to transition for both environmental and economic reasons,” he said.

“It certainly stands in contrast to what we’re hearing (from the province) in terms of the opportunities purely from fossil fuels.”

The provincial government announced earlier this month it was adopting a series of recommendations from the premier’s LNG working group study, including the adoption of a foreign workers strategy and a workforce planning coalition.

Premier Christy Clark claimed the LNG industry was worth as much as $1 trillion to the province and had the potential to create 100,000 new jobs.

The results of the poll came from responses from about 800 B.C. residents that answered questions from an online survey conducted April 1-2.