Canadian Chamber of Commerce response to discussion paperSome responses to the Canada Critical Mineral discussion paper can be found online. In particular, it's encouraging to see that the Canadian Chamber of Commerce response not only supports cobalt as one of the CM's to be given early prioritization, but also suggests a focus on supporting critical minerals production and processing.
1. Do you concur that the value chains identified and their associated minerals offer Canada the greatest opportunities for economic growth?
The discussion paper proposed early prioritization of the following six minerals: lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare-earth elements. These minerals are vital for the advancement of renewable energy, battery, and electric vehicle technologies. The Chamber agrees that the identified value chains provide investment-ready opportunities to spur economic growth and employment across Canada. 2. Are the six areas of focus and their associated objectives the right ones to help Canada achieve its vision on critical minerals for domestic and global value chains?
The discussion paper highlights six areas of focus for Canada’s critical minerals strategy: drive research, innovation, and exploration; accelerate project development; build sustainable infrastructure; advance indigenous reconciliation; grow a diverse workforce and prosperous communities; strengthen global leadership and security. While the Chamber supports these areas of focus and associated objectives, we believe Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy needs to also focus on supporting critical minerals production and processing in Canada – and marketing these clean resources to global markets. This will help Canada to truly capitalize on opportunities along the full critical mineral supply and value chains. https://chamber.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-09-15-Canadian-Chamber-of-Commerce-NRCAN-Critical-Minerals-Discussion-Paper.pdf