Canadians are noticing biodiversity loss in their daily lives and would like to see more regulations and more information on the issue. These are the findings of a survey commissioned by Fondazione Capellino and conducted by IPSOS across nine European and North American countries, including Canada.
A common belief holds that people are not very interested in environmental issues—topics often perceived as elitist or boring. Yet when people are asked about them, a very different picture emerges. This is confirmed by the study promoted by Fondazione Capellino—the 100% owner of the pet food brand Almo Nature, which uses its net profits to fund biodiversity protection projects. The survey involved more than one thousand people between the ages of 18 and 75 across Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, the United States of America, and Canada.
For those in a hurry:
- 87% of Canadians are convinced that there is a link between biodiversity and health.
- At least 64% have noticed the deterioration of natural ecosystems.
- 77% want stricter regulations to protect biodiversity, but not everyone considers them urgent.
Biodiversity Loss Is a Concern for Canadians
Researchers asked Canadian respondents to estimate their level of interest in the issue of biodiversity loss, expressing their answer on a scale from one to ten. Nearly 70% gave a score higher than six, and more than 30% gave a score higher than eight. These figures place Canada in the middle of the ranking among the countries involved in the study, with results almost identical to those of the United States, and they change very little when respondents are asked how concerned they are about biodiversity loss.
The responses become even more interesting when participants are asked about the visible effects of the ecological crisis. For example, 64% of respondents have personally noticed a decline in the number of pollinating insects, and 61% have noticed the degradation of lakes, rivers, and waterways. The environmental issue that concerns Canadians the most is climate change, followed by excessive waste production and air quality. Biodiversity loss ranks sixth out of nine in the ranking of environmental concerns.
Pollsters also asked respondents about action. Seventy-seven percent of Canadians want stricter regulations. Sixty-eight percent support allocating more public resources to protect biodiversity, with the majority expecting the government to take the lead. More than 50% believe that traditional media—newspapers, television, and radio—should talk more about the issue. Finally, for almost everyone, biodiversity protection is directly linked to human health: 87% of Canadians are convinced of this.
.png)
-3.png)
