The Numbers Are Clear—New Survey Shows Yukoners Want Better Protections for the Environment
Whitehorse, Yukon— A recent poll commissioned by CPAWS Yukon found Yukoners overwhelmingly care about the environment and want to see it better protected. We asked Yukoners across the territory about their opinions on the health of our environment, land use planning, Indigenous-led conservation and mining. The results highlight a clear message: conservation is a top priority for Yukoners.
Of the Yukoners surveyed throughout August 2025 by Nanos Research, 79 percent said they support the Yukon Government’s commitments to advancing conservation initiatives, and meeting Canada’s goal of protecting 30 percent of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030. Yukoners said they also wanted more First Nation involvement in conservation, with 76 percent of respondents supporting the establishment of Indigenous-led protected areas, and 74 percent calling for First Nation approval to be a requirement for new mining projects proposed within their territories. Overall, Yukoners said they want better oversight and management of mines and the mining industry; over half of respondents said they felt both that mining companies weren’t behaving in environmentally responsible ways and that stronger government regulations and oversight are needed. Only one-quarter of respondents felt that Yukon mines have a good environmental track record when it comes to clean-up and remediation.
These striking results echo what CPAWS Yukon has heard from the public through our work. Yukoners believe in the value and vitality of our lands, waters, fish, and wildlife, and care deeply about the Yukon environment. Issues such as establishing protected areas, increased decision making by First Nations, strengthening mining regulations to protect the environment, and the ongoing burden of mining remediation are issues that matter. We at CPAWS Yukon feel this poll should be a signal to our leaders, present and future, that Yukoners want a future where the environment, culture, and community can thrive together.
-30-
Contact
Chris Pinkerton, Executive Director— CPAWS Yukon
cpinkerton@cpawsyukon.org | 867-393-8080 ex 4