We were warned. Plenty of experts saw a pandemic coming – not the COVID-19 virus specifically, but the potential for a sudden contagion to devastate a globalized, tightly interconnected world.

Like other societies, Canada could have heeded these warnings better. Building larger stockpiles of personal protective equipment (PPE) and making supply chains more flexible and resilient would have cost money, but the price tag for inaction has turned out to be much higher.

It’s not hard to think of another major global threat we’ve been warned about many times: climate change. Some continue to balk at the costs of preventing the worst effects of climate change. Others insist that the costs of inaction are vastly greater.

Increasingly, both governments and businesses are showing a willingness to invest today in order to avoid future climate catastrophe. Governments are imposing carbon taxes, regulations, and emissions targets. Firms are trying to position themselves for success amid changes that go far beyond taxes and regulations. The threats facing businesses range from operational issues (such as supply chain disruptions from extreme weather) to investors’ growing distaste for large greenhouse gas emitters.

There’s plenty of uncertainty about how things will unfold, but broadly speaking leaders’ choices point to a belief that some combination of financial burden and reputational harm will eventually punish those who drag their feet.

Where does the broader Canadian public stand on climate change?

Is public opinion leading or following climate action by public- and private-sector leaders? How seriously were Canadians taking climate change prior to the pandemic, and how much concern did they report about associated economic threats?

Environics has been running the Canadian Environmental Barometer tracking study regularly since 2007, providing clients with ongoing insight into Canadian public opinion on environmental, natural resource, and energy issues. Findings from the Barometer suggest that Canadians take climate change seriously, but generally don’t have a firm grasp of the depth and range of its financial implications.