CONFERENCE MATERIALS and Insights

The world is undergoing a massive economic and environmental shift, and the consent of Indigenous nations is pivotal to making sure Indigenous nations benefit and to advancing North America’s global economic market share.

Explore the OCA Conference Primer as it offers a window into what the contributions from experts at the conference will focus on. It spotlights groundbreaking projects and initiatives throughout Canada, the United States, and New Zealand, covering vital topics such as project governance, critical minerals, the energy transition, and empowering Indigenous ownership in major projects. With summaries of the conference’s highly anticipated keynote speeches, panel discussions, and featured models, providing readers with an in-depth understanding of the key themes leading up to the event.

At the Values Drive Economy Conference, held on April 24-25, 2023, in Vancouver, the First Nations Major Project Coalition (FNMPC) hosted over 1,500 Indigenous, industry and government leaders to learn how the inclusion of Indigenous values throughout a company’s value chain is essential to getting major projects approved, funded, built, and operating profitably on Indigenous lands. The four main themes of the conference were:

• Diversifying Energy Sources
• Excellence in Indigenous-Industry Partnerships on Major Projects
• Innovative Public Policy Supporting Indigenous Investment
• Securing Competitive Capital

This report focuses on the expert insights from the Values Driven Economy Conference. Conference speakers repeatedly highlighted that Indigenous consent – incorporated at all levels of a major project — is a competitive advantage for companies and countries seeking to raise capital, expedite regulatory and permitting processes, and increase market share.

All net zero projects, such as clean energy projects, electrical transmission lines, and battery mineral supply projects, will be built on Indigenous lands. Centering Indigenous nations’ values and partnerships in proposed developments strengthens projects by improving outcomes that are not only important to First Nations, but increasingly to ESG-focused investors. The Values Driven Economy (TVDE) Conference Primer provides a comprehensive overview of four key themes on how we can build a more sustainable and values-driven economy.

The First Nations Major Project Coalition held two Critical Mineral Roundtables, the first in Vancouver (October 25, 2022) and the second in Toronto (February 7, 2023). For these two roundtables, the (FNMPC) convened experts from First Nations, the private sector, and the public sector to discuss and demonstrate how inclusion of First Nations partnerships and values in critical battery mineral supply will be the key to Canada’s participation in the net zero transition.