Environmental action starts at home and Canadian women are leading the way. A recent TD Friends of the Environment Foundation ‘CEO Poll’ reveals that 52% of women are the Chief Environment Officer or “CEO” of their household compared to 36% of men.
Interestingly, the survey found that children are the number one influence on environmental behaviour – with more than one in four respondents acknowledging that their children influenced them to be more environmentally responsible.
“Canadian families are changing the world, one backyard at a time,” says Mary Desjardins, Executive Director, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. “With 92% of respondents saying their household has a “Chief Environment Officer”, it is clear that Canadians are committed to and passionate about environmental responsibility.”
The ‘Household CEO‘
The TD FEF CEO Poll found that the top three green activities that “CEOs” do at home are managing recycling (91%), reducing their home’s energy consumption (84%) and encouraging waste reduction (82%). While 69% of survey respondents named themselves as their household’s “CEO”, only 2% identified their children as leading the charge, even though children were identified as the top influence for instigating ‘green’ changes around the home.
After children (26%), respondents said that the second strongest influence on their own environmental behaviour are spouses (21%) followed by parents (12%). The TD FEF CEO Poll also asked people to rate their household’s environmental friendliness: 18% rated their household as an “A” while 61% gave their household a “B”. Only 2% gave their household a failing grade with an “F”.
“The new TD FEF website is an effective resource for all Canadians who are looking for simple yet impactful ways to increase their household’s environmental activities,” said Desjardins. “Making just a few small changes to the way we live will make a tremendous difference in the environment at home and in the community.”
The New TD FEF Website
Launched in time for Earth Day, www.tdfef.com provides information on the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation including its funding of local grassroots environment and wildlife projects across the country, and how Canadians can get involved. Additional highlights include a Zero Footprint calculator, enabling visitors to calculate the impact of their daily activities on the environment.
There are several ways Canadians can get involved with TD FEF:
- Non-profit organizations with a charitable registration number and schools can submit a request for financial support for their environment and wildlife projects to the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. Funding applications are only accepted online;
- Volunteering with their local TD FEF Chapter Advisory Board or by signing-up to support a TD FEF environmental project like the TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup;
- Visiting the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation page on Facebook.
About the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation CEO Poll:
The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation CEO Poll was conducted by Angus Reid Strategies on March 17, 2009. The online survey polled English and French speaking Canadians 18 years of age or older using the Angus Reid Omnibus. The sample size includes 1,002 men and women.
