Minister Wilkinson Launches Discussion Paper to Inform Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy

Press Release

From: Natural Resources Canada

News release

June 14, 2022

Critical minerals are essential to powering the green, digital economy of tomorrow. Increasing demand and constrained supply of these all-important minerals are presenting Canada with a generational economic opportunity, and the Government of Canada is committed to seizing that opportunity while delivering on its ambitious climate and nature goals.

Building on the government’s nearly $3.8-billion commitment on critical minerals in Budget 2022, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, released the Government of Canada’s Discussion Paper to inform Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy.

The Minister made the announcement at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Conference, attended by over 20,000 participants, including provinces, territories, leaders of national Indigenous organizations, as well as industry representatives and members of the public.

This Discussion Paper will seek input from provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples, industry and interested stakeholders, guided by five key outcomes:

• economic growth and competitiveness;
• environmental protection and climate action;
• enhanced security and partnership with allies;
• advancing reconciliation; and,
• advancing diversity and inclusion.

Anyone interested in submitting comments on the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy Discussion Paper may do so by September 15, 2022. Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy will be released in late 2022.

Also launched at PDAC was the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP) Action Plan 2021. Developed by federal, provincial and territorial governments in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and in collaboration with industry, the innovation community and other stakeholders, the CMMP is a pan-Canadian plan to improve the competitiveness of the entire minerals and metals sector and position Canada to respond to opportunities.

Quotes

“Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy will position Canada as the global supplier of choice for the critical minerals and materials needed for the green, digital global economy. We will work with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, industry and stakeholders to create a Strategy that will create good jobs for Canadians, grow our economy and make Canada a vital player on the world stage.”

Jonathan Wilkinson

Minister of Natural Resources

Quick facts

• The Critical Minerals Strategy is part of Canada’s strengthened climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy (HEHE), which advances Canada’s goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
• The Strategy will support the Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry’s mandate-letter commitment to develop and launch a Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy to position Canada at the forefront of critical mineral exploration, extraction, processing and manufacturing; to improve critical minerals supply chain resiliency; and to position Canada as a leading mining nation.
• This work will build on recent success in the Canadian critical minerals space, including major investments in the Canadian electric vehicle (EV) industry.
• The Critical Minerals Strategy will complement the work of the Regional Energy and Resource Tables.
• The federal-provincial-territorial Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP) was released in 2019 to boost Canadian competitiveness and take advantage of opportunities such as achieving a net-zero global economy. CMMP Action Plan 2020, Update to Action Plan 2020, and CMMP Action Plan 2021 include concrete measures to operationalize the CMMP and deliver results for Canadians.
• Action Plan 2021 includes concrete action to operationalize the CMMP. This includes the release of the Pan-Canadian Geoscience Strategy to help meet growing demand for responsibly sourced minerals and metals, mitigate climate change, stimulate economic development and deliver workshops across Canada to support procurement with Indigenous companies and businesses. Action Plan 2021 provides updates on actions to reduce mining’s footprint, develop innovative Canadian solutions to global mining challenges, build mineral literacy, establish a Canada Brand and collaborate on critical minerals. It also introduces a strategy to track the progress of the CMMP in meeting its targets and to help identify areas for future work.

Associated links

• Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy
• Discussion Paper – Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy
• A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy
• CMMP Action Plan 2021
• What is the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan?
• Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada

Contacts

Natural Resources Canada
Media Relations
343-292-6100
[email protected]

Keean Nembhard
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Natural Resources
613-323-7892
[email protected]

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