Taking action in support of our vital natural resource sector

Global demand for natural resources – energy, mining, forestry and agricultural products – is growing at lightning speed as the world’s population is set to approach 9 billion in the coming years. New technologies, urbanization and a growing middle class are changing how natural resources are being used, while efforts to transition to a lower-carbon future are challenging the very energy systems that underpin the global economy.

Canada, home to a vast wealth of natural resources, has the third-largest per-capita resource endowment in the world, accounting for nearly 1.9 million jobs across the country and 17 per cent of our nation's economy. And our proven track record as one of the most sustainable and responsible producers on the planet makes us an ideal global supplier.

Canada’s capacity to develop cleantech and new innovations have been paramount to our best-in-class performance on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) metrics over the years. Canadian workers are continually working hard to improve emissions intensities, energy efficiencies and overall footprints in a world that’s ever-increasingly focussed on environmental outcomes, and we should be proud!

• Did You Know? Global Oil & Gas Demand is Growing!
• Did You Know? Canada is a Global Leader in Renewable Energy!

Canada's ESG Performance

Canada’s world-class ESG is well demonstrated by the following facts from within our resources sectors:

> Mining: Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) initiative is an internationally recognized sustainability standard that requires Canadian miners to operate in the most environmentally, socially and economically responsible ways at home. Canadian companies have also voluntarily adopted TSM standards in operations abroad, influencing several other nations including Finland, Argentina and Spain to follow suit.

> Forestry: Canada is a global leader in sustainable forestry management practices. Nearly 50 per cent – or 168 million hectares – of our forests are certified to third-party standards of sustainable forest management, and more than 600 million seedlings are planted on average across the country each year. In 2025, Canada will be the first nation to launch a satellite specifically made to monitor wildfires.

> Oil & Gas: Canada’s oil and gas sector ranks number one for best ESG practices among nations with the 15 largest oil reserves and of the world’s top 20 producers, second for social progress and governance and fourth for the environment. In addition to major advancements in emissions reductions and improving environmental impacts, Canada’s largest oil producers were also the first in the world to commit to net-zero by 2050.

> Agriculture: Canadian farmers have kept their emissions steady for over 20 years while almost doubling crop yields, resulting in an overall drop of their GHG emissions intensities by 50 per cent. They also are committed to using the most sustainable methods such as zero-till agriculture and storing carbon in vegetation.

Canada’s ESG Advantage

Canada’s exemplary record on improving environmental impacts is just the beginning of why we should be a supplier of choice for global resource demand.

The following ESG indexes are more examples of Canada’s exceptional transparency, good governance and stringent regulatory oversight that should make us a go-to choice for oil and gas, minerals and metals and everything in between.

Canada’s ESG index rankings:

• Green Future Index 2021
• Corruptions Perception Index 2020
• Democracy Index 2020
• Environmental Performance Index 2020
• Global Peace Index 2020
• Global Press Freedom Index 2020
• Rule of Law Index 2020
• Social Progress Index 2020
• Sustainable Development Index 2020
• Women, Peace, Security Index 2019/20

Learn More About Canada’s ESG Record

Global demand for energy, mining, forestry and agricultural products are all set to rise in the decades to come. With the world being more focussed on environmental outcomes than ever before, who would you choose to meet the rising global demand for natural resources?

We believe the choice is clear. As one of the most sustainable and responsible resource-rich nations on the planet, more Canadian resources on global markets is good for Canadian families and the global environment!

Learn more about Canada’s world-class resource industries and the Canadians that work in them by joining us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook today! We hope to see you there!

Back to Natural Resources

Metals are all around us, from our phones and cars to our homes and office buildings.

While we often overlook the presence of these raw materials, they are an essential part of the modern economy.

So, how much metal gets mined in a year? https://t.co/8sVkERkzjK

— Canada Action (@CanadaAction) October 5, 2021