HEAR DIRECTLY FROM MAGDI HABIB

Canada is recognized as a leading mining nation, how can Egypt leverage Canada's experience to advance its mining industry?

Canada has a long history of mining and working with other countries to share our experience in both bilateral and multilateral forums.  Because mineral resource ownership and management falls under the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories of Canada, there is a long tradition of collaboration and information sharing of best practice in mining at the national level.  In 2017, federal, provincial, and territorial Ministers responsible for mining called for a Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan to solidify Canada’s position as a global mining leader and to lay the foundation for lasting success at home and abroad.  The Plan is forward-looking and considers the views of mining industry stakeholders, Indigenous partners, and the public. The Plan includes a series of specific and coordinated actions that can be pursued by federal, provincial, and territorial governments to reach stated goals.  More information about Canada’s Minerals and Metals Plan can be found at the following address: https://www.minescanada.ca/en/ .  Canada also has a long tradition of working internationally to promote responsible mineral resource development and has been instrumental in the establishment of multilateral forum such as the Intergovernmental Forum on Minerals, Metals, Mining and Sustainable Development (IGF).

Canada is actively transitioning to a low-carbon economy, how can Egypt align its mining industry with sustainable practices for a greener mining future, drawing inspiration from Canada's efforts?

Canada’s experience has been based on the concept of partnership, transparency, and collaboration to address the long-term sustainability of mining.  Canada’s first policy on mineral and metals and sustainable development was released in 1996 and focused on the role of the federal government to address the economic, social, and environmental issues related to mineral resource development.  Since that time, Canada has been working with a range of partners at the national and international level to promote best practice in terms of sustainable practices to achieve a greener mining future.  At CanmetMINING, the Green Mining Innovation program specifically targets scientific research and development to ensure that Canada’s mineral resources are developed using technologies that are cost competitive but that also improve environmental performance as well.  The recently released Critical Mineral Strategy builds on this long-standing tradition of sustainable and responsible resource development to supply the materials needed for the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Canada has been at the forefront of technological innovation in mining, how can Egypt follow Canada's technological advancements to modernise its mining operations and improve efficiency?

Canada has been investing in technological innovation in mining for over 100 years.  Once Canada had established its Geological Survey, it was clear that new deposits often presented technological challenges to the way the ore minerals needed to be liberated from the rock.  By establishing the research and development institution that is now known as CanmetMINING, the Government of Canada invested the resources needed to find ways to process new mineral ores.  This work continues today, now under the Green Mining Innovation (GMI) program.  The program is specifically designed to work at the national level, working in partnership with industry, academia, research institutes and other levels of government to develop and deploy green technologies that will increase energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, minimize wastes, and increase productivity. The Green Mining Initiative also equips Canada to manage ecosystem risks and to craft and implement sound, science-based regulations.  Much of the research and development work produced at CanmetMINING is published in the public domain for the benefit of Canadians but is also available to others with an interest in mining innovation.  More recently, Canada announced a Global Partnerships Initiative as part of its Critical Minerals Strategy.  One element of this initiative is to strengthen international partnership in research and development related to critical minerals.

You are joining us next month in Cairo at the Egypt Mining Forum as a panelist. Can you tell us, what are you most looking forward to highlighting during your panel and keynote speech?

The Egypt Mining Forum will provide a forum for sharing some of my perspectives on how Canada has been able to benefit from its mineral resource endowment and our approach to responsible mineral resource development.  The growing demand for critical minerals, coupled with the accelerated changes in technologies, present some exciting new possibilities going forward.  Investors and governments alike seeking ways to secure a responsible source of minerals and metals to meet the ever-growing consumer demand for green and clean products that contain ethically sourced materials.  By sharing some examples from Canada of how we are navigating these interesting times, I hope to provide the participants of the conference with some food for thought in terms of how advances in new green mining technologies can play an important role in meeting that demand.