Vision:
A competitive Canadian exploration and development industry that operates responsibly around the world to find the minerals and metals that are essential to modern life.
Mission:
(1) Sustain a vibrant and responsible Canadian exploration and development industry, and (2) Support the Canadian exploration industry worldwide, to secure access to land, skills and capital.
Areas of expertise
As the voice of the Canadian mineral exploration and development industry, PDAC works with its members, partners and stakeholders to support a competitive and responsible industry. This involves helping the industry to access the capital, land and skills required to responsibly discover and develop deposits of the minerals and metals that make modern life possible. To support a competitive and responsible industry, PDAC undertakes advocacy and member services work in the following areas:
- Aboriginal affairs
- Access to capital
- Fiscal and tax policy
- Geoscience
- Infrastructure
- Innovation
- International trade and investment
- Land-use planning
- Regulatory affairs
- Responsible exploration
Specialized services
- Advocacy
- Capacity-building programs for mineral exploration companies
Key Research Priorities
Sustaining responsible access to mineral-rich areas Active
PDAC is monitoring land withdrawal pressures across Canada in order to ensure that mineral potential is meaningfully factored into land withdrawal decision making processes.
Key Topic(s)
Mineral potential, land withdrawals, conservation, protected areas, biodiversity, mineral exploration, geoscience
Partners & Collaborators
Canadian Mineral Industry Federation
Benefits
Ensures future generations are not deprived of the opportunity to benefit from mineral development, while also stewarding Canada’s ecological heritage responsibly.
Reducing access costs for remote mineral-rich areas Active
PDAC undertook research to outline the economic impacts that would arise from reducing the costs of exploring/mining in remote areas and is advocating for federal investment dollars to support the requests being made by the three territorial governments for roads into mineral-rich areas.
Key Topic(s)
Remoteness, northern strategy, economic development, sovereignty, infrastructure, fiscal policy
Partners & Collaborators
Yukon Chamber of Mines, NWT/NU Chamber of Mines, Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada, Mining Association of Canada (MAC), Senator Patterson
Benefits
If investments are made, 4-6 precious metal and base metal mines could come on-line.
Sustaining capital flows to early-stage exploration projects in Canada Active
PDAC undertook research, analysis, member engagement and government relations activities to inform Finance Canada’s review of tax expenditures in 2016, in support of the flow-through shares system as well as the mineral exploration tax credit. Both were renewed in federal budget 2017. PDAC is currently looking at other options for fiscal policy to support companies in Canada to discover and develop mineral deposits.
Key Topic(s)
Mineral exploration tax credit, flow-through shares, grassroots exploration, discovery rates, mineral exploration, fiscal incentives, innovation
Partners & Collaborators
Canadian Mineral Industry Federation, numerous provincial and territorial mining ministers
Benefits
Sustains grassroots exploration in Canada, increasing the probability of discoveries being made that could become the mines of the future.
Aboriginal affairs Active
Includes research, policy, outreach and advocacy to support the development of positive relationships between Aboriginal communities and mineral exploration and mining companies, as well as increased participation by Aboriginal people in the minerals industry.
Key Topic(s)
Duty to consult, government resource revenue sharing, land claims, social conditions on reserve, reconciliation.
Partners & Collaborators
Canadian Mineral Industry Federation, numerous provincial and territorial officials
Benefits
Supports the alignment of mineral exploration and development with broader goals of reconciliation and sustainable development.
Improving discovery performance Active
PDAC undertakes advocacy to secure public investments in geoscience, and also provides a range of member services to help companies discover mineral deposits more efficiently and effectively.
Key Topic(s)
Mineral exploration, discoveries, mineral deposits, geoscience, innovation
Partners & Collaborators
National Geological Survey Committee, Canada Mining Innovation Council (Exploration Industry Consortium), Geological Survey of Canada
Benefits
Supports companies to make discoveries of deposits that could become mines.
Responsible exploration Active
PDAC provides a range of tools and resources to its members to help them improve their social, environmental and health and safety performance.
Key Topic(s)
Sustainable development, environment, health & safety, corporate social responsibility, innovation, clean-tech, climate change, and gender equality and equity in the mining industry
Partners & Collaborators
Canada Mining Innovation Council
Benefits
Prevents/reduces negative impacts, optimizes positive impacts and addresses public expectations of good performance.
Key Projects, Programs and Initiatives
Factoring mineral potential into land withdrawals Active
PDAC is examining 5 pieces of legislation (and related policy processes) that authorize land withdrawals, to ascertain how mineral potential is (or is not) factored into the decision-making process, in order to identify best practices to inform all land withdrawal decision making in Canada.
Benefits
Ensures that decisions in Canada are made based on a holistic, comprehensive set of evidence with appropriate involvement of all stakeholders.
Areas of focus
Conservation, mineral exploration and mining, land use planning
Partners & Collaborators
Canadian Mineral Industry Federation
Total project value
Climate change and carbon policy Active
PDAC is developing 4 case studies to illustrate the carbon footprint of exploration stage projects in Canada in both remote and non-remote areas. This will include the development of an on-line carbon footprint calculator, a tool that will be made available to all members.
Benefits
Supporting the industry to reduce its carbon footprint and signaling PDAC support for action on this important global policy issue.
Areas of focus
Climate change, carbon policy, environmental footprint, innovation, fiscal policy, competitiveness, remote exploration