The mandate is to identify and support further innovation in the sector, provide training for workers to adapt to new technologies, and establish regulatory excellence, environmental management and low-carbon approaches.

"We're at a crucial point in time when it comes to growing the mining sector in BC," said the newly reconfirmed Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation minister Bruce Ralston during the the virtual Responsible Minerals and Metals Summit.

"This summit is about engaging stakeholders from across sectors, including mining, environmental and finance, to identify emerging opportunities and the innovations needed to further responsible and sustainable mining in BC."

The summit stems from the recommendations of the 2018 Mining Jobs Task Force.

It heard about the importance of environmental, social and corporate governance factors in ensuring the Canadian province remained a top-tier mining jurisdiction. It also heard about the crucial role of technology and the potential for new tools to meet growing demand from investors and consumers for responsible sourcing and traceability.

The province is promoting itself as a global leader in responsible and sustainable mining to encourage mining investment into an industry that adds more than C$8 billion of annual revenues to the local economy and employs about 30,000. Current high demand and strong prices for gold and copper, along with leading reconciliation efforts, ample supply of clean hydroelectricity and a focus on regulatory excellence make the province a strong contender for risk-averse investment.

BC had shown the way forward in passing the UN's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2019, something the Canadian federal government is now considering, after a previous private member's bill tabled in 2016 stalled in the Senate and failed to advance when the last national election was called.