January 26, 2005

Abstract: (Angus Reid - CPOD Global Scan) - Many adults in Canada support a proposal to enforce higher environmental standards in the automobile industry, according to a poll by Léger Marketing for the David Suzuki Foundation. 89 per cent of respondents believe the country should have mandatory government regulations to make vehicles more fuel-efficient than they are today.

(Angus Reid - CPOD Global Scan) - Many adults in Canada support a proposal to enforce higher environmental standards in the automobile industry, according to a poll by Léger Marketing for the David Suzuki Foundation. 89 per cent of respondents believe the country should have mandatory government regulations to make vehicles more fuel-efficient than they are today.

The Canadian government has discussed stricter voluntary guidelines with the automobile industry—but not a mandatory program or system—so that cars burn 25 per cent less fuel by 2010.

Last week, environment minister Stéphane Dion traveled to California to meet with officials in the Golden State. California has established a goal of cutting carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from new vehicles by 30 per cent over the next 11 years.

Polling Data

The government of Canada has said it wants all cars made and sold in Canada to be more fuel-efficient in the future. Fuel-efficient automobiles burn less fuel and so create less of the pollution that causes smog and global warming. In your opinion, should Canada have mandatory government regulations which require automobile manufacturers to make their vehicles more fuel-efficient than they are today?

Yes	89%
No	6%
Don't know	5%

Source: Léger Marketing / The David Suzuki Foundation
Methodology: Online interviews to 1,526 Canadian adults, conducted from Jan. 12 to Jan. 14, 2005. Margin of error is 2.5 per cent.