TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Canada’s Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr on Monday outlined the new Liberal government’s key priorities for the mining industry, saying that the need to invest in innovative clean technologies was critical to ensuring its sustainability.

Delivering keynote remarks at the opening ceremony of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada's yearly convention, Carr underscored the new government’s commitment to innovation.

"Our government is committed to ensuring that our resource sectors remain a source of jobs, prosperity and opportunity in a world that increasingly values sustainable practices and low-carbon processes. This is why we are focusing our efforts on developing innovative and clean technologies, increasing funding for infrastructure and providing regulatory certainty so that natural resource development and environmental stewardship go hand in hand for the benefit of Canadians from all regions of the country,” he said.

The Minister referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s commitment made to Mission Innovation in November during the Conference of the Parties, held in Paris. Mission Innovation was an initiative whereby 20 participating governments pledged to double their investments in clean energy research and development over five years.

To this end, Canada would invest $200-million each year to support innovation and the use of clean technologies in the natural resource sectors. The coalition, spearheaded by Bill Gates as the lead sponsor, along with 27 other investors, had committed to investing significant capital to grow early-stage companies that emerged from government research support in participating countries, including Canada.

Carr billed this push for innovation and clean industry as heralding a ‘new age’ for mining, since new technologies relied heavily on mined resources such as copper, rare earths and rare metals that played an ever-increasing role in advanced technologies.

Carr also discussed government's interim approach for the full review of the environmental review process for major resource projects. He also emphasised the importance of public engagement and government's commitment to a renewed relationship with First Nations — one that was based on respect and partnership.

The Minister said that government would continue its geomapping programmes, particularly focused on the north, as these were proven ways to reduce exploration risk.

While at the PDAC convention, Carr chaired a roundtable on indigenous engagement, innovation and clean technology in mining, and held a bilateral meeting with Mexico’s Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal.