Support for the Province’s Climate Leadership Plan (CLP) has eroded over the past year, largely driven by strong public views on the looming Carbon Levy, according to a recent ThinkHQ Public Affairs survey of Albertans.
Currently just over one-third (37%) of Albertans offer support for the NDP government’s CLP, compared to 53% who say they disapprove. Since introduction of the plan in late 2015, public support has slipped by 7 percentage points, while opposition has grown by 9 percentage points.
Driving diminishing support for the CLP are public views on the new Carbon Levy to be introduced in January 2017. Just under two-thirds of Albertans (63%) say they disapprove of the expanded levy, with almost one-half (49%) offering strong disapproval. This compared to just under one-third (32%) offering any degree of approval.
Albertans offer a variety of concerns in relation to the Carbon Levy, including those related to their personal expenses, timing in relation to the fragile Alberta economy, its future impact on jobs and the economy, as well as issues related to the transparency of the new levy.
Click the link to view detailed findings and methodology: Albertans’ Views on Climate Leadership Plan September 2016