McAllister Opinion Research of Vancouver conducted the survey in all provinces except Quebec, between February 14 and 21, 2006.

Jim Hoggan, President of James Hoggan and Associates, said the survey demonstrates that Canadians want the economy to be successful today while sustaining the country's environmental, economic and social resources for future generations.

"More than 90 per cent of Canadians fear that over-consumption of the world's resources threatens the health and welfare of their children -- and lack of government leadership is the biggest cause of the problem," Hoggan said. "Asked why Canadians don't behave more sustainably, 48 per cent of Canadians blame government leadership first."

More than seven in 10 Canadians surveyed agree with the statement: "If everyone in the world lived the consumer lifestyle we enjoy in North America, we would destroy the planet."

Hoggan also said companies and organizations need to do a better job of explaining the term "sustainability". The survey found that 53 per cent of respondents were not familiar with the term "sustainability", and 70 per cent of respondents could not define the term.

"Most Canadians don't know what sustainability means. The term means different things to different people. The result is that most companies and organizations are talking to themselves and a small group of insiders when they use the term," said Hoggan.

"You can't influence an audience until you understand where they are on an issue," said Hoggan. "This research goes a long way to identifying Canadians' values on sustainability and addressing barriers and how to overcome them. This is important because as public opinion goes, so goes sustainability."

The research found that once the term sustainability was defined, over 80% of Canadians ranked sustainability as a high or top national priority.

The survey is part of the Sustainability Research Initiative, the most comprehensive research program ever undertaken on the views and values of Canadians on the issue of sustainability. The Sustainability Research Initiative (SRI), led by James Hoggan and Associates and the Globe Foundation, with research firms McAllister Opinion Research, StoryTellings™ and Daniel Yankelovich's company, ViewPoint Learning, set out to investigate how members of the public and opinion leaders think about sustainability.

Sponsors include BC Hydro, University of British Columbia, Greater Vancouver Regional District, Canadian Pacific Railway, Concord Pacific, David Suzuki Foundation, The Ethical Funds Company, Lefebvre Foundation, Fraser Basin Council, International Centre for Sustainable Cities, Alcan Inc. and the Port of Vancouver.