While we often see headlines about the loss of species, it appears that society has yet to fully appreciate the importance of biodiversity. We are slowly making progress. On 29 December 1993, the Convention on the Biological Diversity (CBD) entered into force. The United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15), held in Montreal in December 2022, generated a landmark agreement to guide global action on nature through to 2030.  It is expected that this achievement will be reflected in concrete action to protect biodiversity involving many young scientists, activists, scholars and entrepreneurs.

The natural resources sector is being transformed by societal, regulatory, technological and competitive pressures, mandating the implementation of meaningful initiatives with defined sustainability goals. This helps foster the creation and rapid implementation of new technologies, such as electrification, use of renewable energy, sensors, automation & digitalization. New collaborative models are being created between companies, at times with government support, to help speed up the development and implementation of good ideas. This technological avalanche involves and requires the participation by people from many disciplines and age groups, novices and veterans. Innovative collaborative models will also be required at the human-to-human level. If the transition is not equitable, those negatively affected will seek to oppose it. What could or should be done to help ensure a transition is as equitable as possible? What are the implications, especially for younger people? What happens to the existing work force?

The green economy requires critical minerals, such as copper and lithium, that may not be sufficiently available within the required timelines. Limited resources and long permitting cycles impact availability. Recycling and repurposing, often using new technologies, may only provide a partial answer. What are the policy implications? Will only wealthy, or resource-rich, countries be able to attain environmental goals?

Environmental goals will not be attained under old-fashioned regulatory regimes. Intelligent, proactive and agile regulation is needed to successfully tackle the challenge we face as we evolve into a more sustainable society. New modalities are needed, requiring thinking outside the box. Better collaboration between industry and governments, across borders and between competitors in the private sector, will be needed. Initiatives such as the USA’s Inflation Reduction Act, and global events such as the war in Ukraine, impact societies in many jurisdictions including Canada, raising complex challenges and, potentially, very rewarding opportunities. What policy initiatives are being implemented and/or contemplated? Will treaties and legislation deliver the desired results? What is the role of NGOs, media and other civil society actors? What consideration has been given to the role of young people in this rapidly changing world, and are we bringing their ideas to bear as we develop policies that will certainly impact their lives?

Today’s indigenous youth are increasingly getting involved in sustainable resource development, bringing their unique perspectives to the sector. This trend is expected to intensify significantly over the next decade as today’s generation attains positions of responsibility, become role models and help mentor those who follow them.

• How could resource companies, Indigenous communities, educational institutions and governments do a better job re turbocharging this process?
• Notable examples of participation by young Indigenous people in the natural resources sector: What has worked and what has not.
• Are there any government, First Nations or industry programs directly aimed at helping indigenous youth enter the natural resources sector in an empowered manner (i.e., to map out a successful career)?

Despite the talk, much of the world needs to embrace the walk.

• What needs to be done to attain a step change?
• How do Gen Z women perceive opportunities in the natural resources sector?
• Will they be rewarded and recognized?
• Will changes in employment modalities, such as remote work, help them flourish with a more flexible work-life balance?

Are women-oriented mentoring groups making a difference

Gen Zs care about the world and the environment. However, they are not getting involved with the natural resources sector and we are all the poorer for it. How do we bridge the communications gap to credibly show Gen Zs that there are many important career paths, with meaning and purpose, where their input will be instrumental in attaining needed solutions? Gen Zs in the natural resources sector stand to benefit greatly from the high demand, today and in the future, for their skills while enjoying purposeful, well-rewarded employment. Recently, major organizations have released reports confirming the lack of interest by Gen Zs in the natural resources sector, particularly in mining. But it Is not clear from those studies how the gap is going to be bridged. On this panel, we shall examine what could be done and how we may go about developing a strategy that yields the desired engagement by Gen Zs.

There is a tremendous amount of innovation taking place in the energy sector, from advances in what are now traditional renewable energy sources, solar and wind, to storage batteries, compressed air, modular nuclear reactors, etc. The energy challenge is a complex one. While perhaps confusing, it offers hope that new, better, cheaper and more sustainable energy will be made available to all. On this panel we present a number of technologies and viewpoints. It will be an exciting ride!

On March 4, 2023, after almost two decades of discussion, the world’s governments reached agreement on key substantive issues for a new Treaty to protect High Seas marine life. Society is starting to realize that it cannot take the ocean for granted. It contains 95% of the planet’s ecosystems and absorbs around 30% of the CO2 released into the atmosphere. But just 1 % of the high seas is governed by rules restricting human activity in the interests of protecting biodiversity and just 39% of the ocean falls under the national jurisdiction of individual countries.  Having attained the High Seas Treaty, a new chapter of global ocean action is starting, opening research, sustainable development and business activities. Will there be more opportunities for young people to get involved through academia, government, NGOs and business? Challenges to be tackled relate to protecting biodiversity, predatory fishing and whether to ban deep-sea mining as a precautionary measure.

The mining sector is facing a pivotal moment: Stricter environmental standards, new technologies and the urgent need for more critical minerals needed for the green transition are bringing about a deep transformation. The sector has another urgent challenge: Gen Zs are just not interested. There is a disconnect that needs to be bridged as today’s mining industry is very different from what it was even a few years ago: Progressive environmental and social practices now top the agenda of leading mining companies. Increasingly, advanced technologies such as autonomous vehicles, digitalization, AI, ore sorting and remote operations are increasingly becoming the new normal.  Across the world, while companies struggle to recruit younger talent, baby boomers are retiring and taking with them much relevant knowledge. Opportunity beckons. Today, careers in the sector combine purpose, facilitating the green transition, with many learning and rapid career advancement opportunities, as demand for talent is expected to exceed supply for many years.  This panel’s aim is to show what modern mining is about, its role in the critical minerals supply chain and why it is a place where many Gen Zs will want to launch meaningful and fulfilling careers from.