Features Bioenergy Ethanol
Canadians want homegrown, low-carbon fuels

April 5, 2010, Ottawa – A new, national poll on renewable fuels in Canada reveals that Canadians overwhelmingly support the transition to homegrown, low-carbon fuels.
 
“The poll clearly shows that Canadians want to shift from fossil fuels towards alternatives. Eighty-four per cent of Canadians support the promotion of low-carbon, homegrown renewable fuels as a major part of
that change,” says Praxicus president Dimitri Pantazopoulos. “This support for renewable fuels is consistently strong in every region of the country. Canadians want our energy supply to grow beyond oil.”
 
Among the findings of this survey:
 
• 81 per cent of Canadians expressed support for the development of a strategy to encourage the development of renewable fuel technology and production.
 
• 74 per cent of Canadians support the current national requirement that gasoline consist of five per cent ethanol by 2010 and all diesel consist of two per cent biodiesel by 2011. This is an eight per cent increase in support for the Renewable Fuel Standard since support was measured in April 2008. At that point, 66 per cent of Canadians supported the national requirement.
 
• The intensity of support for renewable fuels is growing. The number of Canadians who strongly support the national requirement is 42 per cent, up 16 per cent over the 2008 findings. “Canadians are clearly embracing the move to ethanol and biodiesel,” says Mr. Pantazopoulos. “It is clear, from tracking these results over several years, the more Canadians learn about renewable fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, the more they like what they see.”
 
The survey took place from October 30 to November 3, 2009 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 per cent 19 out of 20 times. The survey was conducted by Praxicus Public Strategies on behalf of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association.

Question wording and results

Q. Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose the idea that Canada should develop a renewable fuel strategy to encourage the advancement of renewable fuel technology and the development of new production of ethanol and biodiesel in Canada?

Strongly support 47%
Somewhat support 34%
Somewhat oppose 7%
Strongly oppose 8%
Don’t know 4%

NET: SUPPORT 81%
NET: OPPOSE 16%
 
Q. Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose a requirement that all gasoline include 5% ethanol by 2010 and diesel includes 2% biodiesel by 2011.
 
Strongly support 42%
Somewhat support 32%
Somewhat oppose 11%
Strongly oppose 9%
Don’t know 6%

NET: SUPPORT 74%
NET: OPPOSE 20%