QUESTION PERIOD — Natural Resources
Critical Minerals Strategy
November 27, 2024
Senator Gold, the Commissioner of the Environment, Jerry DeMarco, recently tabled a report revealing significant gaps in the federal government’s oversight of the environmental and social impacts of its Critical Minerals Strategy. The strategy, allocating up to $3.8 billion to promote critical minerals extraction, aims to meet the growing and important demand for materials essential to green technologies. The report highlights concerns that increased mining activity may lead to adverse environmental outcomes such as deforestation, loss of carbon-sequestering peatlands and increased greenhouse gas emissions as well as insufficient attention to social impacts on Indigenous communities including risks to culturally significant sites and heightened safety concerns for women and girls.
Senator Gold, will the government commit to implementing robust oversight mechanisms as we ramp up this important critical minerals sector?
Indeed it is critical, and the government thanks the commissioner for his important work.
It’s important, colleagues, to understand that the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy is a whole-of-government initiative that articulates a vision of policy for accelerating critical minerals development in Canada. It’s also important to note that the strategy does not approve specific projects nor conduct impact or environmental assessments. Rather, the strategy and its various initiatives respect existing jurisdictional responsibilities and the legislative regulatory and policy frameworks that make Canada a world leader in environmental, social and government standards across critical minerals value chains.
However, wherever federal impact legislation applies, Natural Resources Canada will request the Impact Assessment Agency to examine the merits and feasibility of using a regional and strategic assessment to understand the effects of future activities, working with the provinces and territories in this regard.
Thank you, Senator Gold. While Natural Resources Canada has agreed with the commissioner’s recommendations, it has also stated that it cannot determine in advance which projects it will fund, limiting its ability to assess cumulative impacts. This approach risks compounding adverse environmental and social effects, especially in regions densely populated by Indigenous communities.
What concrete steps is the government taking to enhance its capacity to monitor and mitigate these risks proactively, ensuring that mining initiatives contribute to Canada’s net-zero ambitions without exacerbating harm to the environment or vulnerable populations?
As I said, it works across government and with other jurisdictions to make those assessments.
With regard to the impact on Indigenous communities, senator, it’s a key pillar of the strategy that is advancing reconciliation. The strategy introduced funding to support Indigenous groups’ participation in mining with up to $25 million under one program while the critical minerals infrastructure fund provides up to $13.5 million for Indigenous engagement. It builds capacity, knowledge and partnership.
