Canada’s natural resources, consisting of energy, minerals and metal, and renewable forest products, serve as a source of sustainable jobs, prosperity and clean growth for all Canadians.
With a strong base in science, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) will lead and encourage the sustainable development and use of Canada’s natural resources through evidence-based policies, programs and world-class innovative research, in collaboration with Indigenous peoples, and through domestic and international engagements.
In pursuit of Canada’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050, in 2025-26, the Department will work with provinces and territories to identify and accelerate opportunities to transform traditional resource industries and advance emerging ones sustainably. Through groundbreaking programs and targeted investments, NRCan will continue working with stakeholders to decarbonize Canada’s oil, gas, electricity, transportation, and buildings (domestic and industrial) systems; and drive the adoption of clean energy and energy efficient technology in high-impact and hard-to-abate sectors, making homes and industries energy efficient. NRCan will also increase the availability of electric vehicle charging infrastructure on highways and within municipalities and grow clean fuel production; strengthen the use of artificial intelligence in its operations; support the development of critical minerals and the battery ecosystem; and pursue the use and adoption of nature-based solutions and climate change adaptation measures for communities to proactively counter the effects of natural and human induced hazards, while mitigating the effects of climate change. Through its programs and policies, the Department will strengthen Canada’s competitive advantage to boost and secure internal and international trade in natural resources.
In all of this, the principles of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) will remain pivotal. Using Gender-Based Analysis Plus tools, NRCan will consider the impacts on underrepresented, marginalized and vulnerable groups and ensure that concrete IDEA measures are embedded in policies and programs design. Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples will be strengthened by supporting implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, operationalizing a loan guarantee program that provides financial backing from the federal government for Indigenous groups and ensuring Indigenous communities benefit from major resource projects.
Internally, the Department remains focused on the wellness and wellbeing of employees, the effective stewardship of resources, modernizing with a strong emphasis on digital transformation, cyber security and the hybrid work environment.