Future Minerals Initiative

The Future Minerals Initiative (FMI) is a collective of researchers in the social sciences, law, and related fields conducting critical research on mining. Based at the University of British Columbia, we examine how mineral extraction shapes communities, environments, and relations of power—and how its governance can support more just futures.

Our work explores Indigenous soveriegnty, the social and environmental consequences of mining, and the growing demand for minerals in the energy transition. Through collaborative research and public dialogue, we ask who makes decisions about mining, whose priorities guide those decisions, and how the benefits and burdens of mining are distributed.