Residents of the Canadian Arctic Have Conflicted Views on Environment

The first annual Canadian Arctic Survey from L’Observatoire de la politique et la sécurité de l’Arctique (OPSA) (Arctic Policy and Security Observatory) and the Centre for International Policy Studies in Canada gives a voice to northern residents who frequently don’t get a place in discussions about their future. Authors Mathieu Landriault from the OPSA and Mirva Salminen from the Arctic University of Norway polled 609 Canadian residents 18 and older in the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Nunavut to get their perspectives on the environment, resource management, and the role of the Arctic in a dynamic geopolitical world.

Northerners See Climate Change Up Close

The impacts of anthropogenic climate change are being felt acutely in the Arctic regions. Scientists say Arctic temperatures are rising at a rate three times the global average, resulting in the destruction of fragile ecosystems, rising sea levels, and the end of traditional ways of life among Indigenous peoples.

The survey showed that northerners have a complicated relationship with the impacts of climate change as they balance prioritizing environmental protection with the need to spur regional economic development. Only 60% of respondents agreed with the statement that climate change is anthropogenic, which is a lower number than one might expect from a region experiencing those changes on such a large scale.

This attitude persisted in relation to the process for government contracts, with 49% of respondents saying contracts should prioritize companies based in the north instead of those in southern regions of Canada, and only 39% saying the government should choose the most environmentally friendly company.

“It kind of makes sense from just an economic perspective to reward companies in the north,” said Landriault in a webinar showcasing the survey results. “And it maybe points to a north-south divide of prioritizing northern companies and local companies before companies based hundreds of kilometers away.”