Ep. 548: The Minerals We Need: They’re Critical
Guests: Michael Goehring (Mining Association of BC)
“We’re sitting on a gold mine, in reality and figuratively,” says Michael Goehring of the Mining Association of British Columbia. “We’re sitting on it at the most critical time in our relationship with the United States… We’re not mining critical minerals because the permitting process is too long.” It’s a problem on a number of fronts. One of them is the foreign investment needed to support critical mineral mining in Canada: foreign investments that are needed to establish new trading channels – investment funds that are running out of patience.
In October, BHP Chief Executive Mike Henry told the Globe and Mail, “When it comes to these big capital projects, time is both money and risk… So permitting time frames have to be shorter.” A failure to speed up the permitting process means capital slated for investment here is starting to look elsewhere. Henry said, “Canada is a resource-rich nation, steeped in mining history, and has a really good talent base. But many other countries also have resources, they’ve spotted the opportunity, and they’re chasing after it pretty aggressively.”
Michael Goehring agrees: “Of course, we need to attend to environmental regulations; however, there are many areas where Canada and British Columbia can streamline the permitting process. It’s essential that we do to meet North American demands for the minerals and elements that power the green economy.”
We invited Michael Goehring, the President of the Mining Association of British Columbia, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about permitting prosperity.
Want to learn more about our guest?
Check out their profile on our partnered program, Careers That Matter!
