Climate change fades in Canadian election as voters prioritize economy and U.S. tensions

Climate change, once a leading issue for Canadian voters, has slipped down the list of priorities in the 2025 federal election amid growing concerns over the economy and U.S. political instability.

Julia-Simone Rutgers reports for The Narwhal.

In short:

• Recent polling shows a steep decline in Canadians naming climate change as a top election issue, with concerns about the cost of living and U.S. threats dominating voter attention.
• While climate policies like carbon pricing sparked early campaign debate, shifts in leadership and geopolitical events reshaped party platforms and public focus.
• Experts suggest voters still care about climate issues, but politicians are reframing them through economic and national security lenses to avoid messaging regarded as divisive.

Key quote:

“Canadians need more immediate relief and they need that certainty and stability in their lives before they can look to things like long-term environmental strategy.”

— Eddie Sheppard, vice-president of Abacus Data

Why this matters:

While it’s common for public concern about long-term issues to recede in times of economic stress, climate disruption doesn’t pause for recessions or trade wars. Canada’s Arctic is warming at nearly four times the global rate, threatening ecosystems and Indigenous ways of life. The decline in climate salience on the campaign trail could have lasting consequences, especially if it sidelines policy changes urgently needed to meet emissions targets. Reframing climate policy as economic relief may offer a politically safer route, but it risks obscuring the science and delaying necessary action. And while polls show voters still expect government accountability on climate, the political reality is that what doesn't get named often doesn’t get done.

Related: Canadian mayors call for climate-focused infrastructure over new oil pipelines