Canada Must Turn Critical Minerals Strategy into Reality

Canada has a significant opportunity to supply critical minerals to Europe as the global economy electrifies. According to Evan Pivnick of Clean Energy Canada, governments and industry need to move from agreements and strategies to actual projects.

The country's federal Critical Minerals Strategy identifies 34 minerals, but a new report by Clean Energy Canada focuses on six essential to the energy transition: cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, nickel, and rare earth elements.

Pivnick said efforts in Canada, Europe, and the US to diversify critical-mineral supply chains are at an early stage. This increased interest in secure supplies from allied countries could benefit Canada's strong resources and potential markets.

The opportunity extends beyond extraction, as Pivnick emphasized the need for investment in processing and refining to capture more of the economic value created by critical-mineral supply chains.