The most comprehensive study ever conducted on the drivers of social acceptability of the mining sector in Canada, the Barometer provides unique insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and communities.

The Social Acceptability Barometer: Canadian Mining Sector (2025) is a collaborative initiative between Transfert Environnement et Société and Voconiq. It offers the most comprehensive, data-driven account to date of how Canadians perceive the mining sector – its economic importance, environmental impacts, social legitimacy, and trustworthiness. This comes at a time when the country faces accelerating global demand for critical minerals and mounting expectations for sustainability.

Key National Findings

• More than 75%of Canadians see it as vital for job creation, regional development, and the energy transition
• Acceptance of mining is moderate with over 60% of respondents agreeing that the benefits of mining outweigh its costs
• However, trust lags behind acceptance, driven by perceptions that mining companies prioritize profit and efficiency over community wellbeing.
• Approximately 70% agree that mining products contribute to climate change, and nearly half express concern over water quality and land rehabilitation

• Canadians support mining’s role in the renewable energy transition but expect effective effort to protect water, resources biodiversity, and ensure effective post-mining restoration.
• Seven in ten respondents see these minerals as vital to Canada’s energy future 44% of all respondents believe Indigenous peoples still have too little influence over mining approvals

Downloads

• Social Acceptability Barometer: Canadian Report Summary 2025
• Social Acceptability Barometer: Quebec 2025 Report