Canadians want a diversified energy export portfolio, new public opinion survey shows

The research gauged the opinions among Canadians on oil and gas, more particularly how important they are to Canada’s current and future economy as well as expanding oil and gas exports for a more secure global energy supply and to help combat climate change worldwide. Questions were also asked about government performance creating a positive environment for investors building energy infrastructure and about decision-making on energy and climate change and what regions Canada should look to for its energy exports.

1. Oil and gas still seen as highly important to Canada's current and future economy despite slight decline from past waves:
   Four in five Canadians rate oil and gas as important to Canada’s current economy (score of 7-10 out of 10) (81%). Additionally, around three in five (63%) see oil and gas as important to the future economy, down 7 percentage points since February 2025 but still representing a 22-point increase from the benchmark wave in 2020.
2. Canadians agree that oil and gas exports should be expanded to help the world have more secure and reliable energy supplies: 
   Seven in ten Canadians agree (41%) or somewhat agree (29%) that Canada should expand oil and gas exports to help the world have more secure energy supplies (an 8-percentage point increase from February 2025 –36% agree; 26% somewhat agree). Of note, right-leaning Canadians (69% agree; 22% somewhat agree) are twice as likely to report agreeing/somewhat agreeing than left-leaning Canadians (14% agree; 26% somewhat agree).
3. Canadians agree that oil and gas exports can contribute to combatting climate change if they displace more damaging energy sources:
   Canadians are over two times as likely to agree/somewhat agree (69%) that Canada’s oil and gas exports can contribute to combatting global climate change if they displace other energy sources that are more damaging to the climate than they are to disagree/somewhat disagree (25%). Residents of the Prairies are more likely to agree/somewhat agree (79%) than residents of Quebec (52%).
4. Canadians more likely to think governments do a poor or average job at providing policy/regulatory environment for energy investments rather than a good job:
   Canadians are more likely to say governments are doing a poor job (20% poor; 17% very poor) at providing a clear, predictable and competitive policy and regulatory environment for investors building energy infrastructure to help Canada meet its climate change targets. Over one in five Canadians say governments do a very good/good job (5% very good; 17% good), an increase from previous waves. Additionally, almost a third of Canadians report that governments are doing an average job (30%).
5. Canadians twice as likely to say governments are doing a poor/very poor job at enabling companies to get energy infrastructure built quickly enough to diversify energy exports then a good/very good job:
   Canadians are two times as likely to rate the job done by governments at enabling companies to get energy infrastructure built quickly enough to diversify Canada's energy exports as very poor (20%) or poor (22%) rather than very good (6%) or good (12%). Three in five residents of the Prairies (20% poor; 40% very poor) report that governments are doing a poor/very poor job.
6. Canadians rate the jobs done by the federal and provincial governments collaborating on energy and climate as poor:
   Canadians are still twice as likely to rate the jobs done by federal and provincial governments at collaborating on energy and climate issues as poor (decision-making on energy: 18% very poor; 28% poor, decision-making on climate change: 20% very poor, 29% poor, and decision-making to get energy projects built: 19% very poor, 28% poor). However, the number of Canadians saying the federal and provincial governments have done a good/very good job collaborating on energy and climate issues tracking has reached highs this wave (Decision-making on energy: 3% very good; 16% good, decision-making on climate change: 2% very good, 13% good, and decision-making to get energy projects built: 3% very good, 15% good).
7. Canadians want a diversified energy export portfolio, with Europe and the United States as their top two destinations:
   When asked about the allocation of Canada’s energy exports across the globe, Canadians want a diversified portfolio, with roughly a quarter of energy exports going to Europe (27%) or the United States (24%) and the remainder to Asia (20%), Mexico (13%), Central/South America (10%) and Africa (7%). The top reasons for the selection being proximity to export markets (20%), followed by market demand (12%).