Lengthy permitting timelines for new mines risk choking the supply of copper, lithium and other metals required for electrification, delegates heard at the Resourcing Tomorrow conference in London on Tuesday.
Speakers warned that approval processes often stretch well beyond a decade, even as governments set ambitious targets for energy transition.
"If you want to succeed, you need to understand the system and work with the people whose land you operate on," Australia's Northwest Territories industry minister Caitlin Cleveland said.
Her territory averages 31 months for permits, compared with global norms of more than 10 years, thanks to co-management with indigenous governments and early engagement. "That is your ticket to getting through the system in a realistic amount of time," she said.
Industry is responding by front-loading environmental and social work to exceed regulatory requirements, Eldorado Gold senior sustainability director Jennifer Prospero said.
She cited the company's Skouries gold-copper project in Greece, where an impact assessment went beyond legal standards to secure investor backing. Prospero also called for harmonisation of environmental and technical permitting and risk-tiered approvals for low-risk expansions.
"Digitisation and AI can help regulators process applications faster, but trust-building remains the biggest gap," she said.
South Africa's deputy director-general at the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Ntokozo Nzimande said reforms have cut water licence approvals from four years to 90 days by aligning mining, water and environmental laws. But he warned that constant legislative changes undermine investor confidence.
"Integrate and simplify," Nzimande said, adding that digital workflows and clear timelines in law are essential.
But the idea of fast-tracking ESG-positive projects drew mixed views. Prospero said it could encourage strong standards, while others warned it risks creating a two-tier system favouring majors.
