A majority of residents living in Toronto as well as the surrounding Greater Toronto Area (GTA) do not believe their municipality is prepared for climate-change related emergencies, according to a new poll conducted by Canada Pulse Insights for CityNews.
The poll found that in Toronto, 60 per cent of residents surveyed said they disagree with the statement “I believe my municipality is prepared for climate-change emergencies.” Of those, 17 per cent disagreed strongly, while 43 per cent disagreed somewhat. Only 10 per cent agreed strongly with the statement and 30 per cent agreed somewhat.
In the GTA as well, confidence in the statement was low, with 56 per cent saying they disagree – 11 per cent strongly, 45 per cent somewhat. Only seven per cent agreed strongly and 33 per cent somewhat.
In terms of regional differences in opinion, Torontonians are more likely to disagree strongly than those in the GTA, while agreement on the statement is similar – at 40 and 44 per cent respectively. More specifically, Mississauga residents are more confident than Torontonians, with 49 per cent agreeing that their municipality is prepared for climate-change emergencies. Forty-three per cent of those living in Durham, York, Halton and the rest of Peel Region are in agreement.
The poll also found that belief in preparedness for climate-change emergencies varied by age, with residents under 35 who rate their city council well most likely to believe their municipality is ready.
Across both Toronto and the GTA, agreement is highest among those aged 18-34 at 51 per cent, of which 15 per cent agree strongly. Among those aged 35-54, 38 per cent are in agreement. In the 55 and over age group, 40 per cent are in agreement but almost no one (three per cent) agrees strongly.
The split between men and women is not significant across the entire region with men at 45 per cent and women at 40 per cent, but it is greatest in Toronto itself with 48 per cent of men agreeing as opposed to 34 per cent of women.
The poll found that the most relevant metric was how people view City Hall. Fifty-two per cent of those who rate their city council as doing a good job feel that their municipality is prepared for climate-change emergencies, compared to just 29 per cent who rate their council as doing a bad job.
Climate change not top of mind for Toronto, GTA residents
When asked about the three most important issues facing their municipality, only nine percent of Torontonians and seven per cent of GTA residents named climate change and extreme weather impacts.
Affordability and cost of living was at the top of the list for 43 per cent of residents in Toronto and 40 per cent in the GTA. Crime, policing and public safety were named by 29 per cent of Torontonians and 30 per cent of GTA residents.
For Torontonians, traffic congestion and road infrastructure came next at 25 per cent followed by housing affordability named by 24 per cent. For the GTA, it was municipal taxes, spending and the budget (28 per cent) and housing affordability (27 per cent).
In terms of climate issues, opinion varies little – from seven to 10 per cent – by age, gender, home ownership and income.
This survey was conducted among 510 adult residents of the City of Toronto and 825 adult residents of the Greater Toronto Area outside Toronto — the City of Mississauga and the regional municipalities of Durham, York, Halton and Peel — by Canada Pulse Insights between September 14 and 25, 2026. The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 4.3 percentage points for Toronto and +/- 3.4 for the GTA, 19 times out of 20.
