Metals and mining stocks were off 0.4% in Toronto yesterday but First Quantum Minerals (TSX: FM) jumped 4.3%, taking its year-to-date gain to 22.5%.
Thinly-traded Atex Resources (TSXV: ATX) leapt to a 52-week high after last week gaining conditional approval to acquire the Valeriano copper-gold project in Chile.
It closed up 38%, marking a rise of 176.2% so far this year.
The gold price remains around US$1,460 an ounce on the spot market, ahead of a US interest rate decision on Wednesday.
Climate change looks set to dominate the investment agenda next year and the European Union will likely commit to cutting net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, Bloomberg reported.
There was fresh energy in lithium mining equities in afternoon Australian trade.
Orocobre (ASX: ORE), Galaxy Resources (ASX: GXY) and Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS) were up 5.7%, 5.2% and 2.8% respectively at the time of writing.
Albermarle (NYSE: ALB) was up 0.65% yesterday as it prepares to hold an investor day in New York on Thursday.
