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Plans for more drilling and another 10 years of production at an oil site in Dorset are likely to have “significant effects” on the environment, the government has ruled.

Waddock Cross oil site in 2013. Photo: Egdon Resources

In a decision issued today, the local government department decided proposals at Waddock Cross near Dorchester must include an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

A decision on the site’s planning application is now likely to be delayed.

Dorset Council had previously ruled that the site operator, Egdon Resources, would not need an EIA for its application for three new wells and continued production until 2033.

But the Weald Action Group, which campaigns against onshore oil and gas developments in southern England, asked the government to review Dorset’s EIA ruling.

The group said Dorset Council’s ruling contradicted a similar recent EIA decision by Lincolnshire County Council for the Whisby site near Lincoln.

Weald Action Group had successfully brought a landmark legal challenge at the Supreme Court on climate emissions from onshore oil and gas.

The government concluded today:

“Based on the available information and implications of the proposal, the Secretary of State considers there is likelihood of significant effects primarily in relation to the use of natural resources, air emissions, ecology and biodiversity and transboundary greenhouse gas emissions. EIA is therefore required.”

Government ruling on Waddock Cross EIA 03022026Download

The government’s ruling detailed the impact of oil operations on the climate.

Egdon has estimated that Waddock Cross, with the new wells, could produce 138,000 tonnes of oil by 2033. It also estimated that carbon emissions from Waddock Cross oil would be 350,000 tonnes, about 0.02% of each relevant UK carbon budget.

But the government concluded that the extraction and use of crude oil would result in a net increase of greenhouse gas emissions. It said the company had proposed no mitigations for reducing these emissions that were consistent with the UK’s net zero target.

Based on guidance, the government said:

“it is not possible to conclude that there will be no likely significant transboundary effects on climate change”.

The Weald Action Group had previously argued that Egdon had “ignored the current state of the climate, disregarded global emissions pathways and omitted any consideration of cumulative impacts”.

The government was also concerned about the impact of oil operations on nearby protected wildlife sites.

It said there could be construction impacts on the adjacent Oakers Wood, a site of special scientific interest, considered to be of “high ecological value” and a “habitat of principal importance”.

The government said the impact of air pollution on rare lichen in the wood could not be ruled out.

It also said oilfield combustion was “likely to contribute nitrogen emissions” to the Dorset Heathlands, designated as a Ramsar site, Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation, 865m away.

Decision delay

The Waddock Cross site has been mothballed since 2014, after producing oil for less than a year. The oil had a high water content and the wells were considered commercially unviable.

In September 2025, Dorset planners recommended Egdon’s expansion application should be approved. But a week later, councillors failed to make a decision because they said they wanted more information on the climate impact.

They sought to delay the decision until late January 2026. But the Weald Action Group asked the authority to wait until the government’s ruling on the EIA.

Egdon Resources must now submit a detailed environmental study, known as an environmental statement (ES).

An ES can run to hundreds of pages and several volumes, detailing the environmental consequences of the proposed development. This would include the climate impact of burning any oil produced at Waddock Cross.

The public is normally consulted on an ES and the document should be taken into account in a decision on planning permission.

If you need proof that Arctic drilling has become an act of desperation, look no further than what just happened. 

The federal government has opened a 30-day “call for nominations” period—the early step in the leasing process when oil and gas companies are invited to signal interest in bidding on public lands inside the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. 

Normally, this stage happens quietly. Industry lobbyists weigh in behind closed doors, and the public rarely hears about it. But there’s nothing normal about this moment. 

After years of legal fights, public opposition, and repeated market failures, the administration is once again trying to force drilling into one of the most iconic and ecologically important landscapes in America. It’s the same tired playbook we’ve seen before: rush a lease sale, hope companies show up, and pretend there’s an economic case that simply doesn’t exist. 

Past Refuge lease sales have drawn almost no serious interest from industry. Major oil companies have stayed away. Investors have backed off. Bids have been sparse and underwhelming.  

This 30-day window is the only official opportunity for the public to weigh in before the leasing process moves forward. It’s our chance to make it crystal clear that any company reckless enough to bid will face immediate public scrutiny and sustained opposition. 

This is where we build the record and the pressure to stop this scheme before it starts. 

TAKE ACTION Arctic Drilling is Bad Business 

For years, behind-the-times lawmakers have tried to frame the Refuge as the next great energy frontier. But in reality, Arctic oil development is one of the most expensive, complicated, and financially risky bets in the entire industry.

Operating in America’s Arctic means building roads, pipelines, and infrastructure across remote tundra in extreme weather. It means short drilling seasons, high labor and transportation costs, and constant logistical challenges. It means years—sometimes decades—of permitting battles and legal uncertainty. Even under ideal conditions, projects here carry some of the highest production costs in North America (maybe even in the world).

Photo Credit: Steven Kazlowski

At the same time, the global energy landscape is changing fast. Clean energy is getting cheaper. Investors are scrutinizing high-risk fossil fuel projects more closely. And analysts increasingly warn that long-term, high-cost oil developments—especially in fragile places like the Arctic—risk becoming stranded assets before they ever turn a profit. The math simply doesn’t work out.

Any company that chooses to bid now would be making a deliberate decision to sink money into one of the riskiest oil fields on the planet, gambling shareholder dollars on a project with enormous costs, uncertain returns, and fierce public opposition. 

Where You Come In 

This call for nominations is designed for oil companies, but nothing says the public can’t speak louder. And when it comes to corporate decision-making, public pressure matters. 

Executives and investors pay attention to risk. They pay attention to reputational damage. And they pay attention when a project becomes synonymous with controversy and opposition. If bidding on the Arctic Refuge means headlines, protests, investor questions, and sustained public backlash from day one, many companies will decide it simply isn’t worth it. 

Photo Credit: Alaska Wilderness League Staff / Monica Scherer

We have the chance to send a clear, unmistakable message: Drilling the Arctic Refuge is outdated, unnecessary, and a terrible business decision. 

Plus, the Refuge is too special to gamble with. It supports caribou herds, polar bears, migratory birds, and the cultural lifeways of the Gwich’in people who have protected this place for generations. It deserves protection and not another desperate attempt to auction it off to the highest bidder. 

Tell oil companies to stay out. Tell them the risk is too high. Tell them the future isn’t in the Arctic. 

Add your name and send a message now: Don’t bid on the Arctic Refuge. Not now. Not ever. SIGN YOUR NAME   Header photo credit: Lisa Hupp/USFWS

For Immediate Release:

February 6, 2026

Contact:
Ashley Castaneda, ashley@restorethedelta.org

Sacramento, Calif. — Today, the Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC), consisting of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Little Manila Rising, and Restore the Delta, formally filed public comments in response to the State Water Resources Control Board’s proposed update to the Bay-Delta Plan, following an unprecedented level of public participation opposing the draft update. 

“Delta communities and Californians more broadly do not support the flawed voluntary agreements proposal,” said Cintia Cortez, Policy Program Manager at Restore the Delta. “Deteriorating conditions are threatening the safety, health, and economic prosperity of Delta communities, cultural wellness of Delta tribes, and water supply for all Californians. We urge the Board to side with the community, who were the vast majority of respondents in recent hearings, and science in opposing the fatally flawed proposal.”

Over the course of three days of State Water Board hearings, more than 180 members of the public provided oral comments, the largest public turnout the Board has ever seen. Testimony was overwhelmingly opposed to the State’s proposed Voluntary Agreements (VAs) – privately negotiated deals allowing powerful water districts to offer limited flow commitments and funding in exchange for exemptions from stronger, enforceable regulatory requirements.

Of the 185 total speakers, a vast majority (83%) spoke in opposition to the proposed VAs. All speakers in support of the VAs identified themselves as representatives of a business association, water wholesaler, water retailer, or water utility; not a single unaffiliated member of the public spoke in favor of the VAs.

This historic turnout reflects extensive community organizing led by a broad coalition of Tribes, conservation advocates, fishing groups, and environmental justice organizations, including:

• Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
• Winnemum Wintu
• California Indian Environmental Alliance 
• Sierra Club California
• Yosemite River Alliance
• San Francisco Bay-Keeper
• Friends of the River
• Defenders of Wildlife
• California Sportfishing Protection Alliance
• Restore the Delta
• Save California Salmon

The comments submitted by DTEC reflect the clear and overwhelming opposition of everyday Californians and urge the State Water Board to reject the Voluntary Agreements approach. Instead, DTEC calls on the Board to enforce strong, science-based protections for Delta water quality and ecosystems, uphold democratic participation in water planning, and respect Tribal sovereignty and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. 
Read the Coalition’s comments in full here.

###

With the 2026 Winter Olympics just days away, anticipation is building as the world prepares for another showcase of the elite winter sport. Around 3,500 athletes from more than 90 countries are set to travel to northern Italy and compete at Milano Cortina this month.

The ultimate prize, of course, is the gold medal awarded to the winner of each event. The silver and bronze medals, too, will be hard-earned prizes in their own right.

While to the athletes Olympic medals may be priceless, sentiment aside, their value is also measured by the metals they contain.

Given how much metal prices have rallied over the past year, calculating their intrinsic value is worth a closer look.

What are Olympic medals made of?

For each Olympics, the medals are redesigned to make them unique to the host cities. Milano Cortina 2026 features a split design, reflecting the partnership between Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

According to the official Milano Cortina website, the 2026 medals are crafted by the Italian State Mint, using recycled metals and renewable energy. Each type of medal contains a distinct metal composition — silver for silver medals and copper for bronze. Surprisingly, the gold medal is predominantly made of silver, not gold.

Based on design specifications released by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), each gold medal is expected to contain approximately 500 grams (16.1 troy ounces) of .999 fine silver and 6 grams (0.19 troy ounces) of .9999 fine gold. Silver medals contain the same amount of silver as gold medals, while a bronze medal contains about 410 grams of copper.

How much are they worth?

Despite a sharp pullback from record highs last week, gold, silver and copper are still trading at levels higher than during any previous Winter Games.

Based on current market prices — around $4,800/oz for gold, $80/oz for silver and $13,000 per tonne for copper — a gold medal would have an intrinsic value of about $2,212, while a silver medal would be worth roughly $1,286. A bronze medal’s value, by comparison, is estimated at just $5.46.

During this year’s event, a total of 735 Olympic medals (245 sets of gold, silver and bronze) are expected to be awarded, along with 411 medals for the Paralympic Games, bringing the total to 1,146 medals across both competitions.

At current prices, the combined intrinsic value of all medals would exceed $1.3 million (see table).

While this figure falls well short of capturing the true significance of an Olympic medal, it highlights the enduring role of metals such as gold as stores of value. For comparison, during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, a gold medal was estimated to be worth around $736, based on a gold price of $1,900/oz and silver prices near $23/oz at the time.

At today’s prices, the intrinsic value of a gold medal has therefore risen by roughly threefold.

Australian gold miner Regis Resources (ASX: RRL) has moved to revive its stalled McPhillamys gold project in New South Wales by seeking approval for a new waste storage design after a federal heritage ruling rendered the original plan unviable.

In August 2024, then environment minister Tanya Plibersek blocked Regis from building a tailings dam near the headwaters of the Belubula River outside Blayney, halting development of the proposed mine. The decision forced the company to book a non-cash impairment of A$192 million ($135m) and warn that relocating the tailings facility would effectively restart approvals, potentially delaying the project by up to a decade.

After a sharp rally in gold prices, Regis this week asked the Environment Department to approve an alternative waste storage location that would not require reopening the entire approvals process. The proposal centres on an “integrated waste landform” that would store processed ore with waste rock along the eastern and southern edges of the project, while keeping the mine and processing facilities as approved by the department in 2023.

Below optimal

Regis said the original tailings dam remained the “optimal” solution but argued the revised design would allow the project to proceed under existing approvals. The company is simultaneously suing the federal government, seeking to overturn Plibersek’s heritage declaration on the grounds it was denied procedural fairness and that officials accepted claims about the blue-banded bee without sufficient scrutiny.

McPhillamys hosts at least 2.26 million ounces of gold, according to Regis disclosures. At Tuesday’s gold price of $4,906 an ounce, the resource could theoretically generate more than $11 billion in revenue if fully mined and sold.

Regis also applied on Monday for approval of a new 90-kilometre water pipeline from EnergyAustralia’s Mt Piper coal-fired power station near Lithgow, along with a new power line after the previous connection was caught up in the heritage ruling.

The nearly 100-year-old Horne copper smelter. Credit: Glencore.

Glencore (LSE: GLEN) said it’s halting all investments related to emissions reduction at its Horne smelter in northern Quebec after failing to reach a deal with the provincial government on a plan to secure the facility’s long-term viability.

Despite sustained negotiations with Quebec dating back to mid-2025, the regulatory framework needed to justify the planned investments is “not sufficiently in place,” Glencore said Tuesday in a statement. Glencore said it was prepared to invest almost C$1 billion ($730 million) at Horne over five years, including C$300 million for emissions reduction. 

Without completing the planned investments, it will become impossible for the smelter to meet certain emissions targets that come into effect starting in March 2027, Glencore said. “Accordingly, the situation will need to be reassessed in the coming months,” the company stressed.

Investments at Glencore’s CCR copper refinery in Montreal will also be scaled back over the medium term, the company said Tuesday in a statement.

“We have worked in good faith and explored every option available to us. Protecting jobs and maintaining operations remain the company’s top priorities, but the conditions needed to move forward simply are not in place right now,” Marc Bédard, chief operating officer of Glencore’s custom metallurgical assets, said in the statement.

China may look to stockpile more copper as part of its strategic minerals inventory after its state-backed metals industry group suggested the move to bolster the nation’s supply security.

During its annual briefing on Tuesday, the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association said the Chinese government should expand its strategic reserves of copper, while working with major state-owned producers to boost commercial inventories.

In addition, market experts from the Association also suggested the possibility of adding copper concentrates to the nation’s strategic reserves.

The calls come a day after the US government unveiled “Project Vault” — a planned $12 billion fund aimed at building strategic mineral reserves to support domestic production and reduce reliance on Chinese supplies.

Last year, the US Geological Survey added copper to its list of minerals that are critical to the American economy and national security. The metal, which is used in almost everything from infrastructure and machinery to electronics and renewable energy, is currently being examined for a potential tariff by the Trump administration, highlighting the risks in its supply chain.

China, meanwhile, is thought to have been accumulating strategic stockpiles of minerals like copper for decades to protect itself from supply disruptions.

Amid a wave of mine disruptions and aggressive demand forecasts, copper prices have been soaring over the past year, recently hitting a record high of $14,500 per ton in London.

Despite the massive selloff in the metals’ market last week, copper has maintained a 40% gain on this time last year, and is 4% higher since the start of 2026.

CNA today endorsed Tom Steyer for governor of California. Nurses say their endorsement is fueled by Steyer’s unequivocal support for a national and state single-payer health care system; for ending corporate control over politics and working people’s lives; for taxing billionaires and corporations; and for protecting democracy.

Privately held developer Torngat Metals has pushed back its target for starting rare earths production at the C$2-billion ($1.46-billion) Strange Lake project in northern Quebec by about a year due to permitting and other delays. 

Until recently, the Montreal-based company had been saying it was aiming to start production by 2028. That timeline has now slipped, CEO Yves Leduc says. 

“It’s likely we will get permits in the earlier part of 2027, and construction would start around then. So 2028 is very, very tight. It’s more like 2029-30,” CEO Yves Leduc told The Northern Miner in a January telephone interview. 

Torngat is working to publish a bankable feasibility study for Strange Lake in the first half of 2026 and complete environmental impact assessments by the end of the year, Leduc says. The project includes three key components – a mine and concentration plant in Nunavik; a 180-km road to Voisey’s Bay, Labrador and an $800 million, 15,000 tonne-a-year rare earth separation plant in Sept-Îles, Quebec. 

Strange Lake stands out among North American rare earth projects for its heavy rare earth content, particularly dysprosium and terbium – elements critical to permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and defence technologies. It’s also notable for the company’s strategy of building a rare earth separation plant in Quebec and producing finished oxides domestically rather than exporting concentrates. 

Global demand for rare earths is set to climb by as much as 700% by 2040 to meet the needs of green technologies, according to International Energy Association forecasts. 

Chinese leverage 

China’s dominance in the mining, processing and separation of rare earths has spurred Western countries such as Canada and the U.S. to accelerate mining projects – especially after the Asian country introduced export curbs last year. China controls 80 to 90% of the rare earths market, along with the entire supply chain for electric motors and permanent magnets.  

“You can say it was foresight on the part of China. Everybody was happy to have the processing of rare earths done in China,” Leduc said. “Today this small industry, heavy rare earths, which has a $10-billion size globally, controls directly over $50 trillion of economies. You can’t imagine more leverage.” 

Compared with China’s state-backed operations, Strange Lake would be modest in scale but significant strategically. Its planned annual output could meet a meaningful portion of North American demand for dysprosium and terbium, helping to cut reliance on Chinese imports. 

“We’re looking at an opportunity, probably never seen in Canada, to build an industry that will be the only alternative to a Chinese monopoly,” Leduc said. “If you add to that permanent magnet production, which could be in Canada’s control, you can see a mine-to-magnet vision. No other country, other than China, would have that. So the stars are aligned for this project to succeed.” 

Top producer 

Strange Lake would make Torngat the largest producer of heavy rare earths in North America and one of the biggest outside China. Production costs per kilogram of rare earth oxide would be competitive with global producers, though final figures will depend on engineering studies now in progress, Torngat says. 

The company envisions a mine life of more than 30 years, with between 5 million and 13 million tonnes of material extracted annually. Strange Lake is projected to produce 540 tonnes of dysprosium, 80 tonnes of terbium and 2,400 tonnes of neodymium and praseodymium a year, the company says on its website. 

In the meantime, talks are under way with six First Nations – including the Innu and the Inuit – to secure community approval for the project’s key components and negotiate equity stakes. 

“We want the Indigenous to become shareholders in the company, which would be a first in Eastern Canada,” Leduc said. “We are mobilizing to earn their trust. We set the bar very high on the environmental side. We want to be a role model in how we exploit rare earths and how we refine them.”

Torngat Metals’ rare earths project revival aims to create ‘a new industry in Canada’ CEO says Fundraising mode 

After securing $165 million in loans last year from Export Development Canada and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) for pre-construction work at Strange Lake, Torngat is again in fundraising mode. The current focus is on raising equity, Leduc said. 

CIB could lend Torngat as much as $500 million to help build access to the project, Divya Shah, the bank’s managing director of trade and transportation investments, told The Northern Miner in a separate interview. 

With Prime Minister Mark Carney having made critical minerals a priority for Canada, “we’re at the heart of many, many discussions that are critical to Canada’s future,” Leduc said. “This project is extremely well financed, and it will continue to be.” 

Canadian interests 

Although Torngat’s largest shareholder is New York-based private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, following a US$50 million ($70 million) investment in 2022, Leduc insists Strange Lake will serve Canada’s interests first and foremost. 

Cerberus executives “understand this has a to be a Quebec project,” Leduc said. “That’s why they nominated a Quebec CEO and a Quebec chair. We are putting a lot of focus on building a shareholder base that’s Canadian. That’s how we make this a Canadian project serving Canadian interests.” 

“It’s all about making sure the project remains Canadian. Our focus is on building an industry here. That will create leverage for the country that other industries wouldn’t have.” 

Provincial commitment 

Political developments in Quebec haven’t dented the province’s commitment to Strange Lake, Leduc adds – even after Premier Francois Legault said Jan. 14 he planned to step down this year. Quebecers are scheduled to go to the polls in October.  

“There is a great deal of enthusiasm already expressed by the current government” about Strange Lake, Leduc said. “This is not something that’s tied to a government. I’m very confident that whoever leads [the province] after the next election will have the same level of enthusiasm that I have.” 

Leduc, a veteran executive with about 25 years of manufacturing experience who was named Torngat CEO last March, says his current challenge is unlike anything he’s ever experienced. 

“This is the most exciting thing I’ve ever done in my career,” he said. “The energy transition fully depends on heavy rare earths. Once Quebec has that strategy in place and we are in operation, we will be a critical component of the energy transition. That moves a lot of people.” 

Glencore (LSE: GLEN) has entered a non-binding agreement to sell a 40% stake in its mine assets in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Orion Critical Mineral Consortium (Orion CMC).

Glencore currently operates the Mutanda and Kamoto mines in DRC’s Lualaba province — both large-scale producers of copper cathodes and cobalt hydroxide. Last year, they produced 247,800 tonnes of copper — roughly 30% of the group’s global output — and 35,100 tonnes of cobalt.

Under the proposed deal, Orion CMC would acquire 40% of Mutanda Mining (MUMI) and Kamoto Copper Company (KCC), both majority held by Glencore (95% and 75% respectively), for a total enterprise value of $9 billion.

Orion CMC may also appoint non-executive directors in respect of the assets and direct the sale of the relevant share of production to nominated buyers, in accordance with the US–DRC strategic partnership agreement. Upon completion of the transaction, the mines would continue to be managed as part of the Glencore group.

Orion CMC was established by Orion Resource Partners last October with the backing of Abu Dhabi’s ADQ and the US International Development Finance Corp. (DFC). Together, the parties sought to invest upwards of $5 billion to support the US and its allies in their critical minerals push.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Orion said the companies will seek opportunities to expand and develop the asset in partnership with the DRC government and state-owned miner Gécamines, Glencore’s existing partner in KCC.

They will also look to acquire additional critical mineral projects and assets in the DRC and the African copper belt more broadly, it said.

US-Congo partnership

“This proposed partnership between Orion CMC and Glencore has the potential to bring significant returns for both the United States and the DRC,” DFC CEO Ben Black said. “CMC’s potential investment would reflect the growing relationship between the US and the DRC, help secure a reliable source of critical minerals for the United States and our partners.”

In December, DFC pledged to invest more than $1 billion in two major projects as part of the US-DRC strategic partnership. These include plans to support a new copper and cobalt venture between Gécamines and commodity trader Mercuria Energy, as well as a rail project linking Congo and other central and southern African nations to Angola’s coast.

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said the proposed transaction between Orion CMC and Glencore “reflects the core objectives of the US-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement by encouraging greater US investment in the DRC’s mining sector and promoting secure, reliable, and mutually beneficial flows of critical minerals between our two countries.”

“Through this partnership, we would be able to support the ambitions of the US government and private sector with the supply of two critical minerals,” Glencore CEO Gary Nagle said.

The move comes as Glencore continues to work out details on its proposed combination with Rio Tinto (ASX, LSE: RIO), which would create a copper-mining behemoth with a market value of more than $200 billion.

Shares of the Swiss group rose 2.9% on Tuesday on the asset sale announcement, taking its market capitalization to approximately £61 billion ($83.5 billion).

National Nurses United provided the following response ahead of the House vote on H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, which includes a two-week Continuing Resolution for the Department of Homeland Security.

Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) founder and co-executive chairman Robert Friedland relayed the mining industry’s support for how US President Donald Trump has funded projects, quickened permits and now created a $12 billion minerals stockpile.

“Mr. President, thank you so much for what you’ve achieved,” Friedland said in an Oval Office ceremony on Monday featuring cabinet secretaries and other industry leaders such as General Motors CEO Mary Barra. “I’m telling you, on behalf of every miner I know, they’re elated.”

Friedland noted how the array of cameras facing the assembled were made of mined components, cell phones, too. He thanked Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and the US Export-Import bank for funding projects. The bank last year indicated the potential of $825 million in long-term debt financing for Ivanhoe Electric’s (TSX: IE; NYSE-AM: IE) Santa Cruz copper project in Arizona.

“We need your support, and we’re really happy to get it,” Friedland told President Trump. “The morale of the miners is sky high.”

Watch a clip of the exchange above and the full White House video on the minerals stockpile here.

Before you read about our January winners, add your voice to February’s benchmark. Vote Now – It takes 60 seconds.

Agnico Eagle, Hycroft Mining Holding and Sidney Resources began 2026 as clear January leaders in the Global Mining Power Rankings, lifted by investor sentiment, firmer commodity prices and strong 2025 execution that set them apart from peers.

The January rankings reflect companies seen by investors, analysts and industry insiders as delivering operational consistency, financial momentum and strategic progress across market capitalizations. Sentiment carried extra weight this month, supported by improving balance sheets, steady project delivery and supportive gold, silver and copper prices.

Large-cap winner: Agnico Eagle (9.2% of votes) Agnico’s LaRonde mine in Quebec’s Abitibi Greenstone Belt. (Image courtesy of Agnico Eagle.)

Canada’s Agnico Eagle (TSX, NYSE: AEM) claimed first place with 9.2% of votes. Agnico topped the category for a third straight month, backed by steady production across Canada, Australia, Mexico and Finland, disciplined cost control and a strong third quarter that kept the stock ahead of global peers. Investors continued to favour the company’s predictable operating profile in a year marked by persistent inflationary pressure across the mining sector.

Shares have climbed 89% in Toronto and roughly doubled in New York over the past year. Agnico also streamlined its portfolio through the sale of its 55% interest in the Barsele project in northern Sweden to Goldsky Resources, reinforcing balance sheet strength.

In 2025, the company broadened its strategic reach with the launch of Avenir Minerals Limited to pursue about $80 million in early-stage critical minerals investments, following its $180 million investment in Perpetua Resources (NASDAQ, TSX: PPTA) and the Stibnite gold-antimony project in Idaho. 

With gold prices strengthening early in 2026, investors continued to position for sustained shareholder returns.

Notables:

2. Rio Tinto (7.1%) (ASX: RIO): Firm iron ore prices and steady global steel demand underpinned sentiment.

3. Newmont (7.1%) (NYSE: NEM): with investors weighing portfolio optimization and integration progress following asset sales and strategic refocusing through 2025.

Small-cap winner: Hycroft Mining Holding (4.2% of votes) Hycroft project. (Image courtesy of Hycroft Mining Holding.)

Hycroft Mining Holding (NASDAQ: HYMC) benefited from renewed interest in large-scale gold and silver assets as prices firmed late in 2025. The Nevada-based precious metals developer made progress last year on technical work aimed at unlocking value from its Hycroft mine, including metallurgical testing and project optimization, while maintaining a disciplined approach to capital amid volatile markets. That progress, combined with improving sentiment toward silver, helped lift the company into the top spot.

Notables

2. Snowline Gold Corp (3.4%) (TSX: SGD)(OTCQX: SNWGF): Snowline delivered a total return of about 209% in 2025, far outpacing gold’s gains. The Yukon-focused explorer advanced its Rogue project, where drilling at the Valley deposit extended mineralization beyond 1 km, and graduated to the TSX in November, a key corporate milestone.

3. Vizsla Silver Corp (2.4%) (TSX: VZLA): had a strong 2025 marked by continued exploration success at its Pánuco silver-gold district in Mexico, where drilling supported resource growth and reinforced the project’s status as one of the sector’s more advanced primary silver assets. Late in January, however, ten workers were abducted from the Pánuco project in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, underscoring the persistent security risks facing mining companies operating in regions affected by organized crime.

Micro-cap winner: Sidney Resources Corp. (11.7%)  The Warren Mining District. (Image courtesy of Sidney Resources.)

Sidney Resources Corp. (OTCMKTS: SDRC) climbed to the top in January after expanding its footprint in the historic Warren Mining District through the acquisition of Unity GoldSilver Mines assets early in the year and staking roughly 7,600 acres of new claims in December. The Idaho-focused explorer advanced gold, silver and critical minerals exploration during 2025 while continuing development of its proprietary laser mining technology.

“We are profoundly grateful to the MINING.COM readers for selecting Sidney Resources as the #1 Micro-Cap company and being ranked in the top 5 for the second consecutive month,” chief executive Sean-Rae Zalewski said. “This ongoing support underscores the momentum from our recent advancements, including expanded claims in the Warren District, promising concentration achievement in rare earth elements and critical minerals, and steady progress on our innovative laser mining technology.”

Zalewski said his company remains focused on responsible growth and creating long-term value through disciplined exploration and ethical practices.

Notables

2. Xtra Energy (10.8%) (OTCMKTS: XTPT): The micro-cap explorer spent 2025 advancing early-stage critical mineral and energy-related assets, focusing on asset consolidation, permitting and positioning for drilling as investor interest in domestic resource supply chains increased.

3. BrightRock Gold (9.5%) (OTCMKTS: BRGC):  The third spot win is the product of a year in which the company sharpened its exploration focus, expanded its land position and delivered steady technical progress that resonated with retail investors seeking leverage to higher gold prices.

Food Tank’s winter reading list encourages readers to reflect and meditate before choosing which mindful changes to make in today’s food system. Whether uncovering the art and stories of coffee culture, the politics of the meat industry, or the science of human health, this book list opens up possibilities for imagining and creating a healthier food system.

1. Accidentally on Purpose by Kristen Kish

In this New York Times bestseller Kristen Kish—the winner of Season 10 of “Top Chef,” who later went on to host the show—reflects on the path that led to her life on television today. Kish opens up about her childhood as an adoptee in the Midwest, her career in the kitchen, and the relationships and love she found along the way. And through her account of the accidents and missteps she navigated, she shows readers how she learned to find and use her voice.

2. Al Dente: A History of Food in Italy by Fabio Parasecoli

In Al Dente, readers travel through Italy’s foodscape, traversing its many regions and histories. The book documents a country that is home to a brilliant multitude of wines, cheeses, breads, vegetables and meats, while uncovering the reality of economic shifts, poor agricultural conditions, wars, and limited diets in Southern Italy until the 1950s. Parasecoli also includes an archive of recipes that celebrate the country’s food revolution.

3. Breadfruit: Three Global Journeys of a Bountiful Tree by Russell Fielding

The breadfruit tree, with origins in the Pacific Islands, has come to play a significant role in the diets of eaters on the African continent and in the Caribbean. In Breadfruit, Russell Fielding traces the journey of the breadfruit tree across these continents, and studies the colonial history and ecological adaptation that makes the tree and fruit what they are today. Fielding reveals how this single tree embodies resilience, sustenance, abundance, and the intricate ties between food and community.

4. Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly by Hannah Selinger

After gaining access to a life she never expected, lush with lavish parties and expensive wines, Hannah Selinger chronicles her exciting rise and imminent fall in the restaurant business. Cellar Rat begins in the grungy hometown pub where she first fell in love with the industry and ends in the Hamptons. This emotional journey follows the realities of what it takes for Selinger to either stay in something that no longer serves her or walk away.

5. Dark Laboratory: How Colonialism Shaped the Climate Crisis by Tao Leigh Goffe

Tao Leigh Goffe digs into the roots of the climate crisis, analyzing how colonial systems of extraction, exploitation, and control have shaped today’s environment. Vivid storytelling and research connect past policies to present consequences in Dark Laboratory and highlight the ecological costs of today’s industrialized systems. But she also shows that there are alternative ways forward if we can learn from past mistakes and ground solutions in the knowledge gained from island ecosystems.

6. Eating Behind Bars: Ending the Hidden Punishment of Food in Prison by Leslie Soble with Alex Busansky and Aishatu R. Yusuf, based on research by Impact Justice

Eating Behind Bars exposes how food in United States prisons has become a quiet, powerful form of punishment. Drawing on groundbreaking research and firsthand accounts, the book reveals how nutrient-poor meals, privatized food contracts, and systemic neglect harm the health and dignity of people trapped in the carceral system. Centering food as a human right, the authors connect prison meals to broader themes like justice, while highlighting emerging efforts to infuse nourishment, accountability, and care into prisons.

7. Food Fight: Misguided Policies, Supply Challenges, and the Impending Struggle to Feed a Hungry World by Richard Sexton

Richard Sexton charts the precarious balance of global food systems, highlighting the tangled web of policy, supply chains, and environmental challenges that threaten access to nourishment worldwide. Food Fight shows how well-meaning regulations, climate pressures, and corporate interests collide, leaving communities vulnerable and hungry. Sexton brings together analysis and human stories and poses a reminder that behind every statistic is a person trying to feed themselves.

8. Food Intelligence: The Science of How Food Both Nourishes and Harms Us by Julia Belluz and Kevin Hall, PhD

In Food Intelligence, Julia Belluz and Kevin Hall prove the complexity in the interplay between nutrition, science, and welsh health, and go on to explain that food has the power to both heal and harm. Readers have the chance to learn the truth from a nutrition-perspective about how our larger food environment shapes eating behaviors and the food choices we make every day. This book acts as a guide through floods of dietary advice and works to dispel myths about nutrition in a digestible read on food, diet, metabolism and healthy eating.

9. Food Justice Undone: Lessons for Building a Better Movement by Hanna Garth (forthcoming February 2026)

After 12 years of ethnographic research, Hanna Garth wrote Food Justice Undone as a response to the question what is justice, really? Her studies prove that injustice in the food system can’t be healed by well-meaning, affluent, white activists coming into South Central Los Angeles without knowledge of the neighborhood. Its people, history, culture, economics, and foods are specific, nuanced, and deserve solutions tailored to the demographic. Most importantly, she insists, what is needed is structural change, not shifts in individual behavior.

10. Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand by Jeff Chu

Jeff Chu shares the crop of lessons he learned while working the land, and reveals how farming shapes understanding of labor, community, and nature. Chu’s teachers span time and species as he gains knowledge from worms, Chinese long beans, and even egrets. Good Soil is part memoir, part agricultural study, and follows the growth of a novice farmhand into a wise and connected grower. This story celebrates curiosity, humility, and the hard labor behind every harvest.

11. Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love: A Cookbook by Samin Nosrat

Good Things is a joyful guide to cooking, living, and connecting with ordinary ingredients and extraordinary humans. Author Samin Nosrat of the James Beard Award-winning New York Times Bestseller Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat fills her newest book with the joys of go-to recipes, cooking tips, and well-tested-techniques. Her attention to detail, radiant warmth, humor, and care for cooks of all experience levels bring to life a timeless book of food and love.

12. Meat: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity’s Favorite Food by Bruce Friedrich

Meat looks at humans’ love of animal protein and asks whether it’s possible to fulfill eaters’ cravings while feeding the world more sustainably. In his new book Bruce Friedrich explores the history of raising animals for meat, the science of plant-based alternatives, and the economic and food security benefits of producing meat more efficiently. He argues that it’s not only possible to find a new way to satisfy demand for meat. It’s a necessity.

13. Native Food Plants of Texas: an Austin Forager’s Guide Based on Indigenous Knowledge by Cyrus Harp

An expert forager and scholar, Cypur Harp constructs a comprehensible guide to wild edible plants native to Texas—the same plants fed and aided Indigenous peoples for millennia. Native Food Plants of Texas will serve as a helpful resource for foragers, educators, students of traditional lifeways, looking to understand how humans have relied on nature for sustenance. Expressive and richly illustrated, this book is an essential introduction to many of North America’s wild plants.

14. Reclaiming the Black Body: Nourishing the Home Within by Alishia McCullough

In this deeply personal exploration, Alishia McCullough examines the ways food, body, and culture intersect, revealing how nourishment extends far beyond the plate. McCullough gets to know emotional eating, disordered patterns, and cultural expectations so intimately, and writes about how our relationship with what we consume can shape who we see in the mirror. Personal experience stands strong in relation to ideas about embodiment, race, self-care, and an intentional connection with the many food stories that influence what and how we eat.

15. Revolutionary Science: The Struggle for Agroecology in the Americas by Bruce Jennings (forthcoming March 2026)

For generations, campesino communities relied on traditional farming systems in the Americas. Then, industrial agriculture spread and devastated lands, cultures, and any semblance of equality in farming. In Revolutionary Science, Bruce Jennings follows the Latin American scientists, farmers, Indigenous communities, and social movements building and shaping an ever-evolving science, agroecology. Jennings invites readers to investigate the science rooted in cultural respect while sifting through the stories of those who made it a conscious modern practice.

16. The Almond Paradox: Cracking Open the Politics of What Plants Need by Emily Reisman

Emily Reisman explores a vast contrast across continents between divergent ways of growing the plant that has stirred environmental controversy for years, the almond tree. Notorious for their water consumption and extractive neediness in California’s orchards, almond tree culture strikes a harmony in Spain where they thrive off rain. The Almond Paradox uplifts the importance of place-based knowledge while shedding light on the ways that the history of capitalism, science, land use, and policy have shaped our understanding of agriculture.

17. The Bottomless Cup by Kevin Boehm

The Bottomless Cup paints a complex picture of award-winning restaurateur Kevin Boehm’s  life. He has won Michelin stars and Boka Restaurant Group, which he co-founded in 2002, is an incredible success. And he has worked alongside some of the top celebrity chefs. But along the way, Boehm endured a turbulent upbringing and navigated setbacks as he found his place in the world of hospitality. An eye-opening memoir The Bottomless Cup is filled with honesty and humor.

18. The Chesapeake Table: Your Guide to Eating Local by Renee Brooks Catacalos

Eating locally can feel like a challenge. But Renee Brooks Catacalos invites readers into the foodway of the Chesapeake, showing how eating close to home can be easier than expected, and deeply rewarding. Catacalos conducts her own experiments, sourcing from the Chesapeake Bay area, and returns home to write us this guide, illuminating the abundance directly in front of us. This celebration of neighbors and local foods is a call to engage more mindfully in our surrounding food system.

19. The Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese: From Ancient Rome to Modern America by Karima Moyer-Nocchi

In the 18th century, macaroni and cheese was emblematic of sophistication among the English. During the American Civil Rights Movement, Black women helped establish the dish as an American tradition. Through this globe-traversing history, Karima Moyer-Nocchi traces the unexpected journey of macaroni and cheese. Moyer-Nocchi situates the dish within layered social, economic, and culinary landscapes, revealing how a simple combination of pasta and cheese reflects big historical moments like migratory movements and culinary innovations over the years.

20. Will This Make You Happy by Tanya Bush

In this narrative cookbook about desire and dessert, Tanya Bush weaves approachable baking recipes with inspiring tales of experimentation, pleasure, and self-discovery. She includes dishes like the cardamom cruller with plum drizzle, a sweet treat that goes through flavor changes per season, and a classic almond cake. Bush shares moments in Little Egg, a bright and bustling restaurant in New York City’s Brooklyn where she is the head pastry chef. Perfect for first time bakers and memoir-lovers, Will This Make You Happy is more than a book of recipes; it’s a love story.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

The post Food Tank’s Winter Book List: Reading to a Healthier Food System appeared first on Food Tank.

The UK government may have broken the law by approving the transfer of two deep-sea mining licences for exploration of mineral-rich seabed in the Pacific Ocean to an “opaque” company with ties to a US lobby group, according to Greenpeace. 

The campaign group has taken the first step to kick-start a legal challenge over the government’s decision to facilitate the transfer of the permits it sponsors in the Clarion Clipperton Zone to Glomar Minerals following the bankruptcy of their previous holder, a Norwegian firm called Loke Marine Minerals.

The licences, overseen by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a UN body, grant exclusive rights to explore an area of the ocean larger than England for potato-sized polymetallic nodules. These nodules contain minerals such as copper, cobalt and nickel, which are used in both clean energy technologies and defence applications.

No extraction can take place in the Clarion Clipperton Zone until countries agree on a mining code under drawn-out and increasingly contentious ISA negotiations. 

Polarised debate

The debate over the nascent industry has grown increasingly polarised since US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to fast-track deep sea mining, including in international waters – a move widely seen as an unilateral measure aimed at circumventing the ISA’s authority.

Marine scientists argue that mining the seabed could cause severe, and likely irreversible, damage to ecosystems by destroying habitats, releasing toxic plumes and creating noise pollution. Over a dozen countries, including the UK, have called for a moratorium on deep sea mining until there is enough scientific evidence to assess its impact. 

A Parapagurus crab makes its way across a densely packed field of ferromanganese nodules in the Gosnold Seamount. Photo: NOAA Ocean Exploration A Parapagurus crab makes its way across a densely packed field of ferromanganese nodules in the Gosnold Seamount. Photo: NOAA Ocean Exploration

Greenpeace said the UK government’s sponsorship of the exploration licences now held by Glomar Minerals “flies in the face” of its public position on the practice.

In a letter warning Britain’s business secretary of upcoming legal action if its decision is not reviewed, the environmental group said the government had acted unlawfully by failing to consider cancelling the licences. It argued that Glomar Minerals is effectively controlled by foreign states or nationals, which it claims breaches ISA rules.

The ISA regulations say activities in a license area should be carried out by people or companies that possess the nationality of the country sponsoring the contract, or are effectively controlled by them or their nationals, without giving more specific details. If entities from different states are involved, then each state needs to sponsor the license, according to the rules.

Ties to DC lobby group

Glomar Minerals assumed control of the licences last year after acquiring Loke’s British subsidiary, UK Seabed Resources, which first secured the contracts in 2013 when it was owned by US weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

Although Glomar Minerals is headquartered in the UK, the company appears to be largely managed by executives and investors based overseas. Its chief executive is Walter Sognnes, a Norwegian energy executive who also led Loke at the time the company filed for bankruptcy.

One of Glomar’s listed directors and principal controllers is Washington-based Raphael Diamond, the founder and executive chairman of Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), a US lobby group that brings together military and business leaders. SAFE advocates reducing reliance on foreign supply chains, including for critical minerals, on national security grounds.

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In April 2025, SAFE publicly welcomed Trump’s executive order on deep sea mining, saying “we must make sure we don’t cede access [of seabed nodules] to our adversaries”. In a recent report, the group argued that “the United States should out-compete China to be the first nation in the world to commercialise deep-seabed minerals”.

The US is not a full member of the ISA as it never ratified the UN convention that underpins it and therefore cannot directly sponsor ISA contracts.

“Opaque” ownership

Greenpeace has raised concerns about what it describes as Glomar’s “opaque” corporate structure and funding arrangements. Incorporation documents list the company’s majority shareholder as a firm based in Delaware, a US state known for corporate secrecy laws that do not require public disclosure of owners or directors.

Company filings show that in June last year, Glomar entered into a loan agreement for an undisclosed sum with another Delaware-registered entity, MHG Funding. Under the terms of the agreement, the lender could gain sweeping control of Glomar’s assets, including “all licences”, in the event of a default.

The lender is listed as Louis Mayberg, an American financial investor and philanthropist. A donor to the Democratic Party, Mayberg funded SAFE and served on the group’s board until at least the end of 2024, according to the most recent available records.

Climate Home News had not received a response to questions sent to Glomar, SAFE and Louis Mayberg at the time of publication. 

In a December press release announcing the UK government’s decision, Glomar said its priority “remains closing knowledge gaps and contributing to a robust scientific understanding of the deep sea environment”.

US permitting process fast-tracked

As governments vie to secure access to critical minerals, the race to mine the ocean seabed has been heating up, spurred on by the Trump administration and efforts by countries to break their dependence on China.

Japan said this week it had conducted the first test mission to lift seabed mud that is rich in rare earths to a scientific ship within its national waters, soon after China cut off exports to its Asian rival amid a diplomatic row. 

Last month, The Metals Company (TMC) – another deep-sea mining hopeful that holds exploration licences under the ISA, which it obtained via Nauru – became the first company to seek approval to collect nodules in the Clarion Clipperton Zone from the US authorities under an accelerated process run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  

The company’s CEO Gerard Barron told Reuters he hopes to obtain the permit by the end of the year. 

The ISA has repeatedly said it has an exclusive mandate to oversee activities in the Pacific Ocean area and any unilateral action would violate international law and undermine ocean governance.

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Greenpeace worries that licences ending up in “the wrong hands” could open the door to “destructive deep sea mining that could harm marine wildlife”.

Erica Finnie, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said the “opaque structure” of Glomar makes it hard for the UK government to have full oversight of the exploration licences and the individuals involved.

“The licences should be held by independent scientific bodies with a genuine interest in doing research, as they are in other countries, instead of companies seeking to profit from mining the seabed,” she added. 

A spokesperson for the UK’s Department for Business and Trade said it would not comment on ongoing legal proceedings. 

The post UK government faces legal challenge over deep sea mining permits to “opaque” firm appeared first on Climate Home News.

The University of Texas at Austin has spun out Supra Elemental Recovery, a company focused on recovering high-purity gallium, scandium and other critical minerals from domestic waste streams, amid growing concern over fragile critical mineral supply chains in the United States.

The US is 100% import-dependent on gallium and scandium, elements essential to semiconductors, aerospace, energy, defence and communications. China dominates global supply through capital-intensive and environmentally hazardous refining methods, leaving billions of dollars’ worth of critical minerals locked in US industrial byproducts, mine tailings and electronic waste each year.

Supra says its proprietary platform combines the advantages of traditional solvent extraction and ion exchange into a non-toxic process that delivers up to 100× greater selectivity and speed, lowering costs while improving performance. The company is initially focused on semiconductor supply chains, with validation underway for other elements including cobalt and lithium used in batteries, magnets and electronics.

“Every year, billions of dollars’ worth of critical minerals are trapped in domestic waste streams, from industrial byproducts and mine tailings to electronic waste,” Co-founder and chief executive Katie Ullmann Durham said in a statement. “By profitably recovering these elements, we can secure the inputs needed for America’s advanced manufacturing future.”

Co-founder and chief operating officer Jordan Sessler said separating critical minerals at high purity is known to be difficult. He said that by refining multiple elements from multiple sources, Supra is positioned to deliver much-needed supply chain resilience.

The technology builds on federally supported research at UT Austin, a leading US centre for materials science and engineering. Mark Arnold, associate vice-president of Discovery to Impact and managing director of Longhorn Ventures at UT Austin, said the company reflects the university’s focus on translating research into market-ready solutions that strengthen US industrial leadership.

Funding

Alongside its launch, Supra closed an oversubscribed $2 million pre-seed round led by Crucible Capital, with participation from the UT Seed Fund, Climate Capital, Portmanteau Ventures and Pew Protection Trust.

“The bottleneck between domestic resources and secure supply is refining capacity,” Meltem Demirors, founder and general partner at Crucible Capital, said. “Supra is building that capability with a proprietary new approach to producing critical materials in the US.”

The funding will support further development and preparation for commercial pilots expected in 2026.

There are no great solutions to the problem of throwaway plastics. They can clog up landfills for centuries, or get dumped into rivers and break down into toxic microplastics. Incineration produces greenhouse gases and air pollution, and recycling often results in less valuable, “downcycled” forms of plastic.

Biodegradable plastics, which can be composted in industrial facilities or broken down into biogas and nutrient-rich fertilizer through anaerobic digestion, have been seen as a way out of this conundrum. But the truth is more nuanced, according to a new analysis.

The comprehensive study, the first global-scale analysis of the environmental impact of biodegradable plastics across the entire life cycle, reveals huge potential to decrease the environmental impact of the global plastics industry—but only with careful attention to proper disposal. In other words, biodegradable plastics aren’t a license to litter—or even just to dump plastic waste in the landfill.

An estimated 25-46% of conventional plastics could be replaced by biodegradable ones. Substituting biodegradable for conventional plastics where possible would reduce global plastic waste accumulation 27% by 2050, the researchers calculated.

But even in that scenario, there would still be a lot of conventional plastics in the system, so better disposal systems for conventional plastics are still important. It’s possible to reduce plastic waste accumulation by as much as 65%, the researchers found—if, in addition to the rollout of biodegradable plastics, as much conventional plastic as possible is routed away from landfills and incinerated or recycled instead.

 

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Biodegradable plastics are designed to break down in specific conditions, which might or might not pertain in landfills. So if biodegradable products get tossed in landfills, either they will break down and produce the powerful greenhouse gas methane—possibly as much as doubling the climate impact of the global plastics industry—or they won’t break down, which could actually wind up increasing the total accumulation of plastic waste.

Microplastics formed from biodegradable plastics are less toxic than those formed from conventional plastics—but not totally non-toxic. Overall, biodegradable plastics could reduce aquatic toxicity from the global plastic industry by about one-third, the researchers calculated. The best solution, of course, is to keep all kinds of plastics out of the environment to prevent microplastic formation in the first place.

Biodegradable plastics can’t be recycled and conventional plastics (of course) can’t be composted. “Biodegradable plastic waste must be collected separately from conventional plastic waste, which requires capacity expansion of waste collection systems and consumer education,” the researchers write.

Not only will we need to build waste management systems that can handle the growing complexity of plastics, but the general public will also need to know how to recognize biodegradable plastics and how to dispose of them—highlighting how difficult it is to engineer out the human element from the act of throwing things away.

Source: Piao Z. and Y. Yao. “The role of biodegradable plastics in the global plastic future.” Nature Reviews Clean Technology 2026.

Image: ©Anthropocene Magazine

 

Skeena Gold & Silver (TSX: SKE) shares rose nearly 10% in pre-market trading Tuesday after the company secured its final regulatory approval to advance the Eskay Creek gold-silver project in British Columbia, Canada.

The miner received an Environmental Management Act permit from provincial authorities, completing the permitting process and clearing the way for commercial development. The approval was issued jointly with the Tahltan Central Government and follows the BC Mines Act permit granted on Jan. 27 as part of a coordinated application.

Mining operations at Eskay Creek are targeted to restart in the second quarter of 2027.

“We are deeply grateful to our employees, the Tahltan Nation and the regulatory authorities for their ongoing support throughout this process,” Skeena CEO Randy Reichert said in the statement. He added the company is now positioned to move toward construction and long-term value creation.

Eskay Creek, a former Barrick Mining asset in BC’s Golden Triangle, was once considered the world’s highest-grade gold mine. A 2023 feasibility study outlined an estimated 12-year mine life with average annual production of 320,000 oz. of gold-equivalent, including 455,000 oz. of gold over the first five years.

The project is expected to generate about 1,000 jobs during peak construction and more than 770 jobs at peak operations, with projected capital spending of C$713 million and approximately C$1.2 billion in provincial revenues.

Under the project’s environmental assessment certificate, substantial construction must begin by 2036.

Zimbabwe’s High court said Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd.’s local unit is not liable to pay mining royalties of $7.1 million on exports matte and concentrates.

The court ruled in favor of Zimplats after the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority determined the company owed royalties for the period between June 2018 and December 2021. The court said that no royalty rate had been set for such products over that period.

“It is therefore my considered view that matte and concentrate, as mineral-bearing products, cannot attract the same royalties as minerals that have gone through the refinery process,” High Court Judge Rodgers Manyangadze said in his ruling.

Zimbabwe has the world’s third-largest platinum reserves after South Africa and Russia and generates more than half of its revenues from mineral exports. Besides Impala, Sibanye Stillwater Ltd. and Valterra Platinum Ltd. also have platinum interests in the southern African country.

(By Godfrey Marawanyika)

This year China will see its solar capacity outstrip its coal capacity for the first time, according to an industry group.

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