President Donald Trump on April 24, 2025, issued an executive order, "Unleashing America's Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources" (the EO), that aims to promote the development of offshore critical minerals in the oceans...more
As the world moves toward cleaner energy, lithium has become crucial, powering electric vehicles and renewable-energy storage systems. With lithium demand set to increase more than 40-fold by 2040, the race to extract this...more
Deep-sea mining activities on the seabed and ocean floor beyond national waters are a risky and capital-intensive venture. The unpredictability of little-known ecosystems and environmental impacts translate into regulatory...more
As outlined in the first installment of our series, "Striking the Balance: Permitting Reforms for Mining and the Energy Transition", to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, mining development is essential for providing the...more
On March 28, 2024, the federal government announced, amid market uncertainty, that it would be extending the 15 percent Mineral Exploration Tax Credit (METC) for investors in flow-through shares for one additional year, until...more
Welcome to Mayer Brown’s Critical Minerals Newsletter which focuses on some of the key legal issues and developments that have been affecting the sector over recent months....more
On September 26, 2023, the British Columbia Supreme Court issued a ruling in Gitxaala v. British Columbia (Chief Gold Commissioner) that will affect the future of mining in British Columbia. In this case, the court found the...more
The United States - Australia Climate, Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Transformation Compact (the “Compact”) is a landmark formal statement of strategic intent to establish climate, clean energy and a shared energy...more
Le 2 mars 2023, le gouvernement de l’Ontario a présenté le projet de loi 71, Loi de 2023 visant l’aménagement de davantage de mines, qui viendrait modifier la Loi sur les mines. Les modifications proposées ont pour but, entre...more
On March 2, 2023, the Government of Ontario introduced Bill 71, the Building More Mines Act, 2023, which seeks to amend Ontario’s Mining Act. The changes are intended to shorten timelines for starting or modifying mine...more
Critical raw materials, such as rare earths, lithium and cobalt, are essential to the energy transition and to modern and green technologies. As States compete to secure these materials, there is an increasing importance to...more
On Friday, December 9, 2022, the federal government released the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy (the Strategy), a comprehensive multi-disciplinary government policy package designed to facilitate increased production and...more
Demand for rare earth and critical minerals like lithium, uranium, nickel and vanadium is growing worldwide. Recently, the government of Alberta has taken steps to position the province as a contributor to this emerging...more
We previously discussed the Court's decision in Yukon (Government of) v Yukon Zinc Corporation, 2020 YKSC 16, which opened the door to partial termination of agreements in a receivership, an action generally considered...more
On March 11, 2021, Canada unveiled its Critical Minerals List. The list includes 31 minerals considered integral to the Canadian economy, all of which are available in Canada. The list highlights focus areas in future...more
New rules issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that require resource extraction issuers to disclose payments made to U.S. and foreign governments for the commercial development of oil, natural gas or...more
The Quebec government has recently announced that the Capital Mines Hydrocarbon fund (CMH Fund), the purpose of which is to acquire equity interests in mining and hydrocarbon projects in Quebec, is officially in effect. The...more