Climate change and Canadian mining

The question of the vulnerability of the mining sector is not new: mineral resources are finite, the viability of mines and associated communities is primarily determined by global mineral prices, and the question of the vulnerability of the mining sector to global economic conditions has long been a pre-occupation of economists. [...] The report has 8 chapters, beginning with an assessment of the importance of mining in Canada, analysis of climate change scenarios for Canada, and review of the literature on climate change impacts, adaptation, vulnerability and mitigation in the Canadian mining sector before outlining the research approach and key research questions guiding the study. [...] Precipitation • In the summer and under the A1B and A2 scenarios, precipitation levels are projected to decrease in the southern parts of the province, specifically in the Vancouver region and Vancouver Island. [...] TSM is a broader commitment by the Mining Association of Canada’s member companies to improve their performance in areas of sustainable development and to enhance the reputation and credibility of the Canadian mining industry with its communities of interest and the public. [...] Absent in the trade journal literature, however, is a thorough discussion and rigorous evaluation of what climate change will mean for the physical aspects of mine operations both today and in the future, and capacity of the sector to adapt to change.