On October 6th, 2020, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) was advised that the federal government had adjusted the wording of the Strategic Assessment on Climate Change (SACC). The adjustments address the uncertainty created by some of the wording of the initial release in July.
The revised SACC:
- Acknowledges the high importance of climate change as a factor but clarifies that it is one of several factors that the Impact Assessment Act requires to be considered in a project assessment.
- Provides the framework for proponents to describe how a project fits into a corporate climate change plan.
- Recognizes the uncertainty of forecasting 30 years into the future.
- Clarifies that a project can proceed through the impact assessment process even when a proponent cannot demonstrate achievement of net zero.
The federal government’s decision to clarify the wording of the SACC is encouraging. MAC appreciates the government’s efforts to advance policies to encourage growth and investment in the country’s mining sector.
The mining industry is a major sector of Canada’s economy, contributing $109 billion to national GDP and responsible for 19% of Canada’s total domestic exports. Canada’s mining sector employs 719,000 people directly and indirectly across the country. The industry is proportionally the largest private sector employer of Indigenous peoples in Canada and a major customer of Indigenous-owned businesses.
About MAC
The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry. Its members account for most of Canada’s production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal, mined oil sands and industrial minerals and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication. Please visit mining.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
Cynthia Waldmeier
Director of Communications, the Mining Association of Canada
Phone: 613-233-9392 x225 or 613-894-2128 (cell)
Email: cwaldmeier@mining.ca
