Joint Statement on Critical Minerals and Critical Raw Materials Cooperation

On the margins of the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Industry and Technological Innovation, chaired by Minister Urso and attended virtually by Minister Champagne, Canada and Italy released the following Statement of Intent for Canada and Italy to deepen collaboration on critical minerals and critical raw materials:

With the adoption of the Italy-Canada Roadmap for Enhanced Cooperation on the margins of the G7 Summit in June and Canada’s ongoing work under the 2022 Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy, Italy and Canada agreed to strengthen collaboration on energy security and sustainability. We have committed to regular engagement on these issues in the form of an Energy Dialogue, focused on critical minerals, the energy transition, sustainable fuels, energy storage solutions and enabling technologies, and advanced nuclear reactors and fusion research.

Canada and Italy recognize the importance of international partnerships to make critical minerals and critical raw materials supply chains more diversified, transparent, resilient, responsible, circular, resource efficient, and sustainable. Canada and Italy seek to enhance cooperation in this domain through the promotion of trade and investment, exchanges of policies, regulations, best practices, technical and ESG standards.

Canada and Italy will advance this cooperation through the following areas of work:

Strengthening Supply Chains: Promote critical mineral value chain trade and investment opportunities in Canada and Italy through government efforts to facilitate B2B matchmaking and Canada-Italy co-investments in projects.

International Collaboration & Multilateral Engagement: Coordinate participation through leading international fora addressing critical mineral supply chains security and resiliency, including but not limited to the Minerals Security Partnership, the International Energy Agency, the G7, the Conference on Critical Materials and Minerals and through the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance.

Research and Innovation: Discuss opportunities for joint research through Horizon Europe, which Canada joined in July 2024. Italy and Canada will work jointly to improve recycling of critical minerals and critical raw materials.

Mapping and exploration: Share best practices on respective exploration plans and explore opportunities for collaboration between the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) and the Geological Survey of Canada.

We have committed to regular engagement on these issues through the Energy Dialogue, to be launched by Canada’s Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson and Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin in the coming months. Our Statement of Intent today demonstrates Canada and Italy’s strong partnership, and we hope that it will bring many opportunities to continue building on our longstanding bilateral relationship.