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Canadians’ water conservation efforts declining: 2010
Canadian Water Attitudes Study
While Canadians say they care about water conservation,
their actions and levels of understanding miss the mark
TORONTO, March 17, 2010— Canadians' efforts
to save water appear to be going down the drain despite their
reported concern about its availability, according to the
third annual Canadian Water Attitudes Study, commissioned
by RBC and Unilever and endorsed by the Canadian Partnership
Initiative of the United Nations Water for Life Decade. While
almost eight-in-ten (78 per cent) believe they try at least
reasonably hard to conserve water, many admit to knowingly
engaging in water wasting activities such as leaving the tap
running when washing and rinsing dishes (44 per cent) and
hosing down their driveways (19 per cent).
"There is an obvious disconnect between Canadians' attitudes
towards water conservation and what they're actually doing,"
says leading water expert Bob Sandford, chair, Canadian Partnership
Initiative of the UN Water for Life Decade. "Canadians
say they are much more concerned about the availability and
quantity of fresh water than any other natural resource, yet
their efforts to conserve water are actually decreasing. This
should be a huge concern, given that we live in a society
run by water and the long-term supply of this precious resource
is already at risk in many parts of the country."
Canadians more concerned about saving electricity
The Canadian Water Attitudes Study also reveals that Canadians
are more concerned with saving electricity than water. Nine-in-ten
(87 per cent) say they try reasonably hard to conserve electricity
in their daily activities, higher than the 78 per cent who
say the same for water. In addition, three- in-ten (29 per
cent) don't know what they pay for their water, three times
the proportion who are in the dark about their electricity
bill (10 per cent).
"These findings suggest that Canadians haven't made
the link between water and energy conservation," says
Sandford. "What Canadians may not realize is that generating
energy requires a lot of water, and moving water - to make
it available for when and where we want it - in turn requires
significant amounts of energy. Until people make the link
between the two, we won't achieve anything approaching sustainability."
Awareness of the correlation between energy and water might
help Canadians set new targets for water consumption and adopt
new behaviours to better manage water use.
Highlights of the study: Additional key themes / regional
trends
More Canadians are turning to their taps for drinking water
- More Canadians (49 per cent) are drinking tap water this
year than last (41 per cent)
- More Canadians (79 per cent) are confident in the safety
and quality of Canada's drinking water this year, up slightly
from last year (72 per cent)
- Quebecers are less confident (68 per cent) in the safety
of their water than other regions
- Awareness of local government initiatives to conserve
water are low (32 per cent), although awareness is higher
in some regions such as B.C. (47 per cent) and Saskatchewan
and Manitoba (38 per cent)
- One quarter of Canadians (25 per cent) have no idea where
the water that flows out of their taps comes from, with
Quebecers most likely to admit that they don't know (32
per cent)
Canadians are less concerned about Canada's long-term supply
of fresh water
- Canadians are generally less concerned this year than
last about the declining state of Canada's natural resources
- Yet half of Canadians still believe freshwater to be Canada's
most important natural resource
(49 per cent)
Canadians are increasingly concerned about the quality of
their lakes for swimming
- Eight in ten (83 per cent) Canadians are concerned about
the quality of water in lakes where they swim
- Quebecers and Ontarians are the most likely to be concerned
(87 per cent in both provinces)
- Most Canadians (68 per cent) believe that the quality
of their swimming lakes is getting worse
About the Survey
The 2010 Canadian Water Attitudes Study included an online
survey administered by Ipsos Reid from February 17 to 23,
2010. It included a sample of 2,022 adult Canadians from the
general population across Canada. The results are considered
accurate to within ± 2.2 per cent, 19 times out of
20, of what the results would have been had the entire adult
population in Canada been polled. The data were weighted by
region, age and sex according to 2006 Census data.
About Canadian Partnership Initiative
in support of the United Nations Water for Life Decade
The United Nations Water for Life Decade is a globally proclaimed
decade for action on water quality and availability issues.
While each country in the world will be focusing on its own
water quality and availability issues within the larger context
of the global fresh water situation, the Canadian initiative
has been defined by a nation-wide public and private sector
partnership aimed at identifying and responding to regional
and national water issues. The United Nations Water for Life
initiative in Canada exists to put Canadian water issues into
a global context. The Canadian United Nations Water for Life
partnership initiative is housed, and has its research home
in the Western Watersheds Climate Research Collaborative at
the University of Lethbridge. For more information about the
Canadian partnership initiative in support of the United Nations
Water For Life Decade visit www.thinkwater.ca.
About RBC
RBC is one of North America's leading diversified financial
services companies and among the largest banks in the world,
as measured by market capitalization. It employs approximately
80,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 18
million personal, business, public sector and institutional
clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 53 other countries.
RBC is recognized among the world's financial, social and
environmental leaders and is listed on the 2009-2010 Dow Jones
Sustainability World Index and the DJSI North American Index.
RBC has been named one of Canada's Greenest Employers, one
of Canada's Best Diversity Employers, one of Canada's 50 Most
Socially Responsible Corporations and one of the Best Workplaces
in Canada. RBC is also listed on the Jantzi Social Index,
the FTSE4Good Index, and the Canadian Carbon Disclosure Project
Leadership Index. In 2009, RBC contributed more than $105
million to community causes worldwide, through donations of
more than $52.6 million, and an additional $52.5 million in
sponsorship of community events and national organizations.
The RBC Blue Water Project is a 10-year, $50 million philanthropic
commitment to supporting organizations that protect watersheds
and ensure access to clean drinking water. Since 2007, RBC
has committed more than $20.48 million to more than 200 organizations
worldwide working in this area. For more information, visit
www.rbc.com/bluewater.
About Unilever
Unilever works to create a better future every day. We help
people feel good, look good and get more out of life with
brands that are good for them and good for others. Each day,
around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to
purchase Unilever products. In Canada the portfolio includes
brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers,
Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Klondike,
Knorr, Lipton, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All
of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of
the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers
and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever
employs more than 13,000 people across North America - generating
nearly $10 billion in sales in 2009. With a steadfast commitment
to water sustainability, Unilever strives to lead by example
and remains committed to further reducing its water footprint.
For eleven years running, Unilever has been acknowledged as
the food industry category leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability
Index for their environmental policies. For the fifth year
running, Unilever was also named amongst the 'Global 100 Most
Sustainable Corporations in the World' by Corporate Knights
and Inflection Point Capital Management, an international
finance and investment advisory firm. Unilever is also an
active participant in several water sustainability programs
across Canada including EcoVoyageurs, a national school-based
education program in which students are encouraged to reduce
their own 'environmental footprint'. In 2008, Unilever Canada
launched Go Blue, a national awareness program which aims
to educate consumers about steps they can take to conserve
water in their daily lives. For more information, visit www.unilever.com.
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For further information, or to arrange an interview, please
contact:
Cathy Kurzbock
(416) 413-4755
Cathy.Kurzbock@hillandknowlton.ca
Matt Gierasimczuk
(416) 974-2124
Matthew.Gierasimczuk@rbc.com
Jill Batie
(604) 692-4227
Jill.Batie@hillandknowlton.ca
Jennifer Booth
(403) 268-7852
Jennifer.Booth@hillandknowlton.ca
Kirsten Booth
(902) 491-2549
Kbooth@bristolgroup.ca
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