Mining companies that are pursuing energy management best practices to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the Towards Sustainable Mining initiative can now qualify for funding through the Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation a division of Natural Resources Canada.

CIPEC is a voluntary partnership between the Government of Canada, industrial companies, associations, and many others. The CIPEC funding will be available for mining companies that are pursuing Levels A, AA or AAA (the highest levels of TSM performance) in the TSM Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management Protocol. Qualified mines can receive funds for up to 50 percent of eligible costs to a maximum of $40,000. The funding for this initiative comes from NRCan’s ecoENERGY efficiency program.

“This is a significant endorsement of the Towards Sustainable Mining initiative and powerful recognition of the program’s effectiveness in improving energy management practices at Canadian mining operations,” said Pierre Gratton, President and CEO, the Mining Association of Canada. “We thank the Government of Canada for making funds available that will assist Canadian mining companies in their pursuit of improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions at their sites.”

“The Mining Association of Canada’s Energy Use and GHG Emissions Management Protocol is aligned with NRCan’s objective to increase the adoption of Energy Management Systems by Canadian industry, which in turn will lead to reduced energy costs, improved competitiveness and GHG emissions reduction,” said Sarah Stinson, Director of the Industry and Transportation Division, NRCan.

The TSM initiative is designed to improve industry’s operational performance in key environmental and social areas and goes beyond regulatory obligations. Mining facilities report on their performance against six protocols, including energy management, and reported results are externally verified by a third-party. TSM’s Energy Use and GHG Emissions Management Protocol requires mining facilities to establish comprehensive systems for energy use and GHG emissions. This includes providing energy awareness training, and establishing systems to track and report data for internal and external reporting. Facilities must also set and meet targets for their energy use and GHG emissions performance.

TSM is a mandatory program for MAC members, and the Mining Association of British Columbia and the Quebec Mining Association are currently working on implementing TSM for their members.

About MAC

The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry. Its members account for most of Canada’s production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal, mined oil sands and industrial minerals and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication.