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Sustainable mining to be discussed at COP15

Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says Canada is looking to commit to only bringing critical minerals into the country if they were mined in a way that is both environmentally sensitive and respectful of human rights.

Wilkinson will be at the COP15 nature talks in Montreal on Dec. 12 where he will make an announcement on critical minerals, just three days after finally publishing the Liberals’ long-promised critical minerals strategy.

The strategy is focused only on domestic mining, and Wilkinson acknowledges it is silent on the sustainability of any raw materials mined elsewhere and brought to Canada for further processing or used in the manufacturing of batteries.

But he says he will have more to say about that issue in Montreal on Dec. 12.

Canada’s mining industry is recognized for sustainable practices domestically but internationally its reputation is far less rosy, with multiple allegations of human rights abuses and environmental damage.

The COP15 nature talks are an effort by most countries in the world to agree to policies that will both halt and repair the destruction that human activities, including mining, have brought on global ecosystems and wild species.