As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

That the Government of Canada work with the provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous communities and governments, the mining industry and research and education institutions to develop a strategic vision for developing Canada’s critical minerals industry by:

• formulating a strategy for harnessing critical minerals in Canada, with clear priorities and stable and predictable funding for its implementation;
• coordinating the efforts of the sector’s various stakeholders by capitalizing on the strengths and assets of each province and territory in order to bring mineral resources together with technical and technological capacity;
• assessing the benefits of establishing an office of critical minerals within the Government of Canada, made up of multidisciplinary experts who would work on developing critical mineral supply and value chains;
• collaborating with key international partners, including the United States, by building on the Canada–United States Joint Action Plan on Critical Minerals Collaboration; and
• assessing the potential to establish a critical minerals strategic reserve in Canada to attract and meet the needs of Canadian value-added processing companies.

Recommendation 2

That the Government of Canada renew its support for the Canadian mining sector so that it can take advantage of the many opportunities offered by developing critical minerals and recognize their unique contribution to advanced technologies and the energy transition by:

• increasing its capacity to carry out geoscience work, including effectively evaluating mineral resources and including critical mineral potential in the decision-making processes for infrastructure, land management and conservation in close cooperation with the provincial and territorial governments and Indigenous communities;
• expanding the scope of financial and tax measures, such as the Mineral Exploration Tax Credit and the flow-through share system, to spur investment in critical mineral exploration projects; and
• investing in transportation and communication infrastructure in remote and Northern regions to improve access to mineral resources, taking into account economic and environmental factors and the priorities of local communities.

Recommendation 3

That the Government of Canada work with the provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous communities and governments, the mining industry and research and education institutions to promote responsible, sustainable and inclusive development of Canada’s critical minerals sector by:

• supporting research on critical minerals, including the development of research infrastructure and technological innovation platforms;
• encouraging initiatives to develop mining and mineral processing activities that reduce the sector’s environmental impact, including waste recovery and mineral recycling, and ensuring that the regulatory framework allows it;
• launching a roadmap for the integration of renewable and low‑greenhouse gas energy into off-grid mine energy systems in remote and Northern regions, taking into account reliability and cost;
• fostering the implementation of best practices for electrifying mining operations;
• offering critical mineral training programs and supporting initiatives to diversify the mining sector’s workforce; and
• supporting meaningful consultations and partnerships with Indigenous communities in developing critical mineral projects, taking into account project impacts and accommodation measures that may be needed, sharing of economic benefits and access to training and employment.

Recommendation 4

That the Government of Canada work with the provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous communities and governments, the mining industry and research and education institutions to support the development of value‑added processing in Canada in order to increase the number of markets for critical minerals in the country and build a domestic industry and domestic expertise by:

• helping set up demonstration facilities for promising value-added product manufacturing, ensuring no duplication with provincial facilities; and
• assessing the possibility of expanding the scope of financial and tax measures, such as the Mineral Exploration Tax Credit and the flow‑through share system, to support the development of value-added critical mineral processing.

Recommendation 5

That the Government of Canada support industries that help decarbonize the Canadian economy by:

• developing a strategic and coordinated approach to electrifying transportation in Canada, including dedicating budgets to building a Canadian electric vehicle battery industry and ensuring access to an adequate domestic supply of the critical minerals needed for their manufacture;
• implementing public procurement policies that favour the purchase and use of technologies that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including the electrification of its vehicle fleet;
• assessing the possibility of using existing mechanisms, such as the Canada Infrastructure Bank, to fund transportation electrification projects; and
• offering labour force training programs in the new, leading-edge manufacturing sectors, and easing the transition of expertise from other industries that make use of similar skillsets.