ABOUT
CRITICAL MINERALS
The transition to a low-carbon and more technologically advanced economy relies on minerals with distinct physical and chemical properties that are difficult to substitute. These properties make certain minerals essential to electrification, energy storage, food systems and industrial applications.
Over the past decades, many Western supply chains have become dependent on single sources of supply for these minerals, creating strategic weaknesses and minimizing technical knowledge and processing capability.
What makes them critical:
To be considered a critical mineral in Canada, a mineral must meet both of the following criteria:
- The supply chain is threatened
- There is a reasonable chance of the mineral being produced by Canada
It must also meet one of the following criteria:
- Be essential to Canada’s economic or national security
- Be required for the national transition to a sustainable low-carbon and digital economy
- Position Canada as a sustainable and strategic partner within global supply chains
