ESG’s growing in the resource sector

PRINCE GEORGE – The world of the resource sector is an ever-changing one. And it is changing again. It’s called “Environmental, social, and governance” and it has been an expression used a lot at this year’s Association of Mineral Exploration Roundup.

Mining is one of the resource cornerstones of BC’s post-COVID economic recovery plans. In 2018, mining generated $12.3 billion in economic activity, providing 30-thousand direct and indirect jobs. But a growing trend in the industry. It’s called environmental, social and governance, or ESG, criteria. It’s a set of standards for a company’s operations that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments. The more aware a company is of the environmental impacts it has, or social aspects it incorporates into its operations, or how well a company is governed from the top are all things investors are looking for now. “Global competition for both investment and trade has rarely been more intense,” says Seamus O’Regan, the federal Minister of Natural Resources, speaking to the Association of Mining Exploration Round-Up this week.

“The market’s appetite for combatting climate change both in terms of profits and in terms of who we treat the planet has never been stronger. and th need for corporate responsibility and social inclusion has never been more clear.”