Resourcing Tomorrow 2025

Keynote Panel: Streamlining Permitting Without Compromising
Accountability - Balancing Speed, Sustainability, and
Stakeholder Rights

02 December, 14:20 - 15:00, Resourcing Tomorrow Theatre

‘Does slow still mean safe? Or does it just mean late?’

Mining, a cornerstone of the modern economy, now faces a crisis
of time. According to the "Mine Development Times: The U.S. and
Beyond" report by S&P Global Market Intelligence (June/July
2024), the global average time from discovery to production has
ballooned to 17.9 years for projects initiated between 2020 and
2023. Contrast this with the 1990s, when it took 12 to 14 years,
and even the 2000s, which saw 15-16 years on average.
Permitting delays, inequalities, and operational barriers now
stretch timelines dramatically, jeopardizing the supply of critical
minerals like copper, lithium, rare earths, and cobalt—vital for the
energy transition, AI, and global security.
Why does this delay matter? In previous decades, the world’s
reliance on these minerals was far less intense, and the industry
could absorb slower project cycles. Today, however, mass
electrification, electric vehicles, smart grids, and defense
innovations demand a rapid and steady flow of resources. EY’s
"Top 10 Mining Risks and Opportunities 2025" highlights that
regulatory bottlenecks and capital shortages are creating a
structural deficit with real economic costs. Every year of delay
translates into billions in lost opportunities and stalled
technological progress.

Key Discussion Points:

• The Lassonde Curve: Understanding its implications for project
  timelines and identifying ways to shorten the curve without
  compromising due diligence.
• Policy alignment by addressing conflicts between
  federal/national policies and regional regulations to create a
  cohesive permitting framework.
• Balancing urgency and rights by creating strategies for
  expediting permitting while safeguarding the rights of local
  communities and respecting environmental standards.
• Could an airline/airport-style “premium service line” work in
  mining? Could there be a premium service line for permitting
  that rewards good performers with a track record?
• Stakeholder engagement best practices for involving local
  communities early and building trust to avoid delays.
• How the urgency of demand can drive innovation in permitting
  processes. An update of the Defense Protection Act and other
  initiatives.
• Reviewing examples of successful permitting reform and
  industry-government collaboration.

Panellists:

• Jennifer Prospero, Senior Director, Sustainability, Eldorado
  Gold Corporation
• James Lea-Cox, Senior Environmental Advisor, Head of Sector,
  European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• Christo Visser, Vice President - Resources Sector Sales Lead
  for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Worley
• Moderator: Alison Allen, Director, SLR

For more information on SLR and our Mining services, please get in touch.