Environmental issues have fallen dramatically in importance for Canadian voters in the 2025 federal election, according to fresh data from Vote Compass. Once the top concern in 2021, the environment now ranks eighth, with only five per cent of respondents naming it their most pressing issue—down from 24 per cent four years ago.
Canada-U.S. relations have taken center stage this election cycle, with 29 per cent of Canadians citing it as their main concern. Economic issues follow at 24 per cent, with cost of living, social justice, and health care rounding out the top five.
The drop in climate prioritization comes even as municipal leaders sound the alarm. In an open letter, 128 mayors urged federal party leaders to act urgently on climate change, calling for a national electric grid that reaches the North, a high-speed rail network, energy-efficient building upgrades, and two million new non-market green homes. They also advocate for a coordinated national strategy to boost climate resilience and disaster response.
Vote Compass, a non-partisan initiative by Vox Pop Labs, collected data from over 161,000 Canadians between March 25 and April 3. Despite the decline in environmental concern among voters, Liberal supporters still show elevated concern about U.S. relations, while Conservative voters prioritize the economy. Immigration has also gained traction, rising from one per cent in 2021 to four per cent in 2025.
As mayors push for green policy, the challenge remains to elevate climate back into the forefront of public and political discourse in Canada’s shifting electoral landscape.
Source: Swifteradio.com.
