VICTORIA: Potential collaboration for best practices in sustainable mining, particularly in policy and regulations to rehabilitate abandoned quarry and mining sites, has recently been identified.
This development follows Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan who led the Sarawak delegation for a meeting with the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation here yesterday (June 8).
The said Ministry is in charge of electricity, alternative energy, mining and petroleum resources and plays a crucial role to support British Columbia’s effort to reduce greenhouse gas emission.
Awang Tengah said Canada is renowned as a leading mining nation for the development of its value chain and other related industries.
“The mining sector in British Columbia is one of the key economic activities of the province, driven by the private sector.
“This sector has contributed approximately 30 percent of local economic growth and employed over 35,000 of the workforce. Mineral exploration expenditure was worth CAD$740 million,” he said.
With the strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework, he said, British Columbia is a global leader in climate actions.
“As such, the mining industrial players must obtain social licence through reconciliation of the rights of indigenous people as well as adopt environmental stewardship during the operation and closure of the mines.
“The development of the mining sector is based on the principles of ESG and SDGs which has benefited the local community while conserving the environment.
“We are impressed with the collaborative and partnership approaches in addressing the right of the First Nation People, which is the social pillar of ESG principles,” he said.
Among those present were Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development Datuk Len Talif Salleh, and Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Law, MA63, and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Syed Aman Ghazali and senior government officials.
