Economic blinders risk overlooking climate cliff
There’s a lot going on these days. From war to economic instability, to alarming backsliding on democratic norms, human rights standards, and the rule of law, today’s polycrisis ecosystem can be a lot to digest.
And, amid it all, the future survivability of the giant ball of rock upon which we all live remains conclusively in question.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has, in turn, had a lot to contend with since first taking office in March 2025, and public polling has shown a majority of Canadians have to date been happy with the PM’s economic focus and direction.
A recent Abacus Data poll found 66 per cent of respondents flagged the rising cost of living as among the top three priorities the government should be tackling, followed by the economy at 39 per cent, and health care at 34 per cent, with just 13 per cent listing climate change and the environment among their top three compared to 29 per cent back in June 2023.
But when asked generally about their level of concern regarding climate change and its potential impacts on our future, a combined 80 per cent of respondents indicated they’re either very concerned (29 per cent), concerned (30 per cent), or moderately concerned (21 per cent)—up from 77 per cent from polling in July 2025. The Abacus write-up notes concern is strongest among Liberal and NDP supporters, but “even among Conservative voters nearly two-thirds … express at least some level of concern.”
While economic issues are an unsurprising area of strength for the former governor of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, Carney’s environmental policies to date have been a let down (particularly as a former UN special envoy on climate action and finance). Beyond investments to expand fossil fuel production, the list includes proposals to bypass environmental protections in the name of streamlining and speeding up approval timelines.
People have taken note, including members of Carney's own caucus.
As recently reported by The Hill Times, the federal Net-Zero Advisory Body—which saw two of its members resign earlier this year over the Carney government’s environmental policies—remains at half strength some six months after it requested new blood to fulfill its mandate.
Senators recently wrote to Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin, raising alarm over projections that indicate Canada is not on track to meet its legislated 2030 net-zero target.
One wonders what Carney of the past—UN special envoy and co-chair of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero—would have to say about Carney the PM’s climate approach.
Carney is juggling a number of competing priorities, and finding the right balance and path forward is, of course, easier said than done. But if we keep our economic blinders on, we risk missing our chance to avoid falling over the climate cliff.
The Hill Times