Horizontal initiative - Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy (CCMS)

• DG Critical Minerals Innovation Advisory Committee (co-chairs: NRCan; Mining Association of Canada) – this committee ensures alignment with the mining industry and other stakeholders, and to foster collaboration in areas of common interest.
• DG Committee on Ring of Fire (co-chairs: NRCan; Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario) – this committee addresses priorities, challenges and emerging issues related to potential critical minerals development in the Ring of Fire region.
• DG Infrastructure Investment Review Committee – Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF) (co-chairs: NRCan; TC) – this committee will provide oversight and issue recommendations on targeted infrastructure investments through the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF).
• DG Investment Review Committee - Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) (chair: ISED) – this committee will provide advice and guidance on contributions towards proposals that support government priorities and objectives, consistent with SIF’s Terms and Conditions.

• The Working-level Infrastructure Investment Committee, chaired by NRCan and TC, ensures that applications assessed by the CMIF are reviewed by a broad array of Government of Canada experts and that projects recommended to the DG Infrastructure Investment Review Committee, will meaningfully contribute to the development or increase in critical minerals production in Canada.
• The SIF Critical Minerals Interdepartmental Working Group, co-chaired by NRCan and ISED, assesses incoming Statements of Interest and makes recommendations to the SIF Critical Minerals Director Consensus Committee to ensure project assessments are approached from a practical, whole-of-government perspective that integrates horizontal policy considerations, cross-government expertise, and other potential funding mechanisms. The SIF Critical Minerals Director Consensus Committee, chaired by SIF, assesses interdepartmental recommendations from Critical Minerals Interdepartmental Working Group and develops consensus on all recommendations made to the Investment Review Committee (IRC).
• The Sub-Committee on Performance Measurement, chaired by NRCan, supports reporting on performance and results for the programs and initiatives under the CCMS and supports access to ongoing and timely data on progress to support decision-making.
• The Sub-Committee on Communications, chaired by NRCan, supports communications for programs and initiatives under the CCMS.

NRCan will continue to engage and work with partner departments and other stakeholders as required to implement and advance the initiatives of the CCMS. Specific planning highlights include:

• Continue to engage with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, industry stakeholders, and international partners to strengthen collaboration on critical minerals development in Canada.
• Coordinate across the federal family to track and report results of the CCMS.
• Manage the CCMS governance framework, including chairing the CCMS Horizontal Initiative Oversight Committee and the CCMS Implementation Committee; participating in the DG Critical Minerals Innovation Advisory Committee, the DG Committee on Ring of Fire, and the DG Investment Review Committee; and managing sub-committee and working-level governance meetings.

• Launch and oversee new R&D initiatives under the Critical Mineral R&D and Demonstration Program (CMRDD), while securing additional contribution agreements to support program objectives.
• Foster strong partnerships with industry stakeholders to identify and address critical mineral sector needs, ensuring alignment with evolving market demands and expand upstream and midstream research ecosystem.
• Monitor, track, and report on project progress and outcomes to demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of CMRDD initiatives.
• Continue domestic and international R&D consortium-building around specific technological problem sets or industries, starting with rare earth elements.

• Administer contribution funding to provincial and territorial governments and agencies, including completion of funding agreements, tracking and reporting of results.
• Manage existing contribution agreements, engage with collaborators and stakeholders on Canada’s critical mineral systems.
• Continue internal research on understanding, quantifying and modelling Canada’s critical mineral potential, inclusive of Environmental, Societal and Governance considerations.

• Run a second call for proposals for CMIF contributions to support additional enabling clean energy and transportation projects. Continue collaboration with program delivery partners (e.g., Transport Canada, Canada Infrastructure Bank) and engage with provinces and territories on infrastructure priorities through the Regional Energy and Resource Tables.
• Support Indigenous engagement, capacity building, and knowledge gathering and sharing related to critical minerals-enabling clean energy and transportation projects through CMIF Indigenous Grants.
• Negotiate and manage contribution agreements. Track and report on results.
• Transport Canada will continue to support strategic governance of the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund. The evolving fiscal landscape may impact Transport Canada's future level of support.
• Transport Canada will continue to support project evaluation for transportation related projects being considered for funding under the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund. The ongoing review of government spending may impact the department’s ability to provide continued support.

• Continue to administer Grants & Contributions related to international collaborations in geoscience, R&D, transparency, traceability and sustainability.
• Strengthen partnerships with key international allies, organizations and stakeholders to develop data, attract investments and develop markets, support R&D and uphold Canada’s commitments under the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act (ESTMA). Continue to track, assess and report on the outcomes of GPI initiatives to ensure alignment with strategic goals of Canada.

• Continue supporting critical mineral-related projects in the program’s remaining two years, in accordance with the Critical Minerals Strategy.
• Continue to monitor the progress of approved projects against the activities, outputs and key performance indicators outlined in the contribution agreements and use this data, along with feedback from participants and the Indigenous Partnerships Office, to inform recommendations for future Indigenous programming.

• ISED will continue to focus on advancing critical minerals projects, prioritizing initiatives that align with Canada’s clean growth objectives through the SIF. The program will support projects that foster innovation in processing, manufacturing, and recycling, while driving sustainable growth in emerging sectors.
• In alignment with the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy, ISED will continue to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, recognizing that projects supported under the SIF could have significant impacts on Indigenous communities and Treaty rights.

• Continue to administer Grants & Contributions to otherwise unfunded organizations to support improved Indigenous participation in northern resource management processes and activities. The initiative will ramp up investments for meaningful and informed participation in impact assessments, land use plans, and regional studies (including specific calls for cumulative effects studies) and continue to advance opportunities for regulatory dialogues and information sharing among partners.

Andrew Ghattas
Senior Director
Policy and Economics BranchLands and Minerals Sector, NRCan
580 Booth Street, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0E6
(613) 716-4801
Andrew.Ghattas@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

60% of key critical minerals increase production by 10% or more by December 2030, based on 2022 baseline

(2022 baseline: Production levels = 100 for 19 critical minerals that Canada produces and for which data are available, including aluminum, cobalt, copper, fluorspar, germanium, graphite, indium, lithium, magnesium, molybdenum, niobium, nickel, platinum group metals, potash, scandium, tellurium, titanium, uranium and zinc.)

At least 25% of key critical minerals that are net import reliant in 2022 show reductions in net import reliance

(2022 baseline: taken as five-year average of net import reliance values 2018-2022 for the six key critical minerals.

Mined cobalt = 42%; refined cobalt = net exporter; mined copper = net exporter; refined copper = 50%; mined graphite = 67%; refined graphite = 100%; mined lithium = 33%; refined lithium = 100%; mined nickel = 12%; refined nickel = net exporter; mined rare earth elements = 100%; refined rare earth elements = 100%.)

Number of processing facilities for critical minerals in operation and under construction

(GBA Plus indicator)

Increased the share of U.S. imports from Canada by at least 5% compared to the period of 2018-21 for over 50% of critical minerals identified

(2018-21 baseline: Canada accounted for 50% of U.S. imports of aluminum, 16% of cobalt, 17% of graphite, 22% of indium, 45% of nickel, 25% of niobium, 52% of tellurium, 38% of vanadium (fero) and 66% of zinc)^{Footnote 12}

Increased employment across Canada in the minerals and mining sector, by gender

(GBA Plus indicator)

20% women+ representation;

80% men+ representation^{Footnote 17}

(2021 baseline: women+ 16%; men+ 84%)

Increased employment across Canada in the minerals and mining sector, by Indigenous identity

(GBA Plus indicator)

10% Indigenous representation;

90% non-Indigenous^{Footnote 18}

(2021 baseline: Indigenous representation 7%; non-Indigenous representation 93%)

Increased employment across Canada in the minerals and mining sector, by racialization^{Footnote 19}

(GBA Plus indicator)

25% racialized representation;

75% non-racialized representation^{Footnote 20}

(2021 baseline: racialized representation 18%; non-racialized representation 82%)

2023/24: 0
2024/25: 50
2025/26: 100
2026/27: 200

(2022 baseline: 0)

25%

50%

75%

(2023/24 baseline: 20%^{Footnote 25})

2024/25

2025/26

2026/27

Up to $129,653

100% of decisions will integrate Indigenous knowledge and science in Nunavut (2023 baseline: 0%)

At least 1 contribution agreement that supports participation of underrepresented groups (2022 baseline: 0)