These Ontario voters want climate change to be a bigger issue in this federal election

When Sacha Adkins looks at her children, she sees more than the present — she sees a future marred by rising temperatures and political inaction.

A voter in Kitchener-Conestoga in Ontario, Adkins told CBC News that climate change has become difficult to ignore since becoming a parent.

"You're just really aware of the world that your kids are going to grow up in," she said.

Adkins is worried the world her children will live in as adults will be very different from the one we live in now, adding it's "already very different from the one the generation of our parents grew up in."

The headlines in this federal election campaign have been dominated by talk of tariffs and Canada's relationship with the United States, but some voters who spoke to CBC News said climate and environmental policies remain a top concern for them as they decide who to vote for on April. 28.

Adkins said climate action right now is "pretty bleak" and she wants to see more immediate efforts from politicians.

"I'm concerned political parties and our politicians are much more concerned about other things rather than climate, which is where our focus should be," she said.

Kitchener Centre voter Emily Janet said she feels the focus of politicians running in this federal election is too divided.

"There is no point in addressing all of the other electoral concerns if we don't actually meaningfully address climate change in the process," she said.

Janet said that while people in Waterloo region might not be as affected by climate disasters, like hurricanes and forest fires, the area can still feel their effects.

"We don't get all of our food from Waterloo region … we get a massive amount of food from California," said Janet, adding, "there's only so many places in the world you can grow grapefruit, for example."

Bridget Lewis, also from Kitchener Centre, shared a similar view. 

"Even though there's some very serious things we're facing in the long term, we still, every single day, have to be concerned about what's going on with climate action," she said.

"The tariff thing might go away, Donald Trump won't be president in four years, but if we don't deal with climate action now, I feel so sorry for the children and grandchildren of the future."