The world is having a global energy transition party for miners – B.C. isn’t invited
A global energy transition that’s already underway would be good for B.C.’s exploration and mining industry.
The province, after all, is geologically blessed with an abundance of many of the raw materials needed for wind turbines, solar power and electric vehicles.
But the opportunity posed by decarbonization and the low–carbon economy is a boat that B.C. has already missed, according to one metals and mining analyst, because there is one thing missing in B.C.: licence to operate.
“Even if you get a permit, it doesn’t really mean a permit anymore in Canada,” said Marin Katusa of Katusa Research. “It’s not that there’s a shortage of minerals or projects. There’s a shortage of skin in the game from the regulators. The most dangerous term right now in mining is called ‘social licence.’”
A new EY report confirms “licence to operate” is the single biggest concern expressed by the mining industry in a survey released January 16. The 250 mining industry executives surveyed put licence to operate at the top of their list of concerns.
For the rest of this article: https://biv.com/article/2019/01/why-we-are-missing-low-carbon-economy-bonanza