September 2026
by Piper French, Dr. Andréanne Doyon, and Dr. Jonathan Boron
Addressing climate change requires a transition to clean energy. In response to rising demand for critical minerals (CM), eleven Canadian jurisdictions have devised strategies to support increased extraction.
This working paper examines these strategies through a systematic literature review and a critical justice lens. It introduces and applies a policy analysis framework, summarizes findings for each minerals strategy, provides a comparative overview of results, and concludes with recommendations and key questions for policymakers.
We encourage the use and sharing of this material. Please cite as:
French, P., Doyon, A., & Boron, J. (2026). Critical Justice: Interrogating Canadian Critical Mineral Strategies for a Just Energy Transition (Working Paper). Simon Fraser University. https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/critical-justice-interrogating-canadian-critical-mineral-strategies
For a summarized version of the findings, read the blog post: Do Canadian critical mineral strategies support a just energy transition?
The Clean Economy Working Paper Series disseminates findings of ongoing environmental and clean economy work conducted by researchers from a range of disciplines. These working papers are meant to make results of relevant scholarly work available in a preliminary form. Although these papers have not undergone a peer-review process, they meet general standards of scholarly excellence. The views expressed in these working papers are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Smart Prosperity Institute.
