Lesley Warren, Director, Mining Futures, University of Toronto

The world grinds to a halt without mining and mining slams to a full stop without water.

This central tenet, often overlooked in the global critical minerals and metals conversation, is core to the Water in Mining Summit’s agenda. The 2025 Water in Mining Global Summit revealed the deep and on-going work being done by practitioners to advance and continuously improve outcomes that reflect current and future uncertainties driven by climate change, inclusive of community and Indigenous/1^st Nations voices that importantly ensure water’s broader values are being considered in decision making. The challenges are significant; water is a primary target of climate change resulting in growing uncertainties and shifting complex risks that extend from investors to communities and regulators. 

The 2025 Summit highlights are many and multifaceted, reflecting the growing maturity of water teams, strategies and activities being operationalized across companies. Insights on water strategy roll outs, water models and new technologies were hallmarked by the constant refrain of continuous improvement, transparency and engagement (early and often), demonstrating the pace at which companies are moving to transform their water outcomes. Investor perspectives on integrating water into enterprise risk management and 1^st nations teachings on why and how broader water values are essential to mitigating ESG risks illuminated opportunities to inform decision making frameworks. As always, I come away from the Summit inspired by the shared commitment, willingness to share learnings and demonstrated actions by the community to radically improve water outcomes. Can’t wait to continue these conversations next year!

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