T H E M I N I N G 201 9 ANN U AL R E P O R T 33 Ar c ti c a n d N o r th e r n P o l i c y Fr a m e w o r k AN P F M A C h as l o n g sup p o rt ed t h e g o v ernme n t s ad o p t i o n o f a n ew A N P F an i n i t i at i v e t h at as i m p l em ent ed wi l l p l u g a si g n i fi c an t p o l i c y g ap at t h e federal l ev el an d h as as i t s g o al b ri d g i n g m u l t i p l e g ap s i n t h e q u al i t y o f l i fe b et we en n o rt h erners an d so u t h erners i n c l u d i n g I n d i g eno u s c o m m u n i t i es M A C p art i c i p at ed an d m ad e a sub m i ssi o n t o c o n sul t at i o n s o n t h e p ro p o sed A N P F A ft er sev eral y ea rs o f eng ag em ent at m u l t i p l e l ev e l s o f g o v ernme n t M A C was p l ease d t o see u p o n rel ease t h at t h e A N P F rec o g n i z es h o w c ri t i c al ad d ressi n g t h e i n frast ru c t u re g ap i s t o ac h i ev i n g so c i al an d ec o n o m i c o b jec t i v es i n Go al 2 w h i c h fo c u ses o n st ra t e g i c i n frast ru c t u re an d c al l i n g o u t t h e i m p o rt an c e o f o p t i m i z i n g reso u rc e d ev el o p m ent i n c l u d i n g t h e m i n i n g an d energ y sec t o rs as a fo u n d at i o n o n whi c h st ro n g sust ai n ab l e d i v ers i fi ed an d i n c l u si v e l o c al an d reg i o n al ec o n o m i es c an b e b u i l t Whi l e t h e A N P F i s a h o l i st i c p o l i c y d esi g n ed t o ac h i ev e m u l t i fac et ed p ro g ress i n t h e A rc t i c t h e d o c u m ent rec o g n i z es t h e i m p o rt an c e o f m i n i n g as a p i l l ar o f t h e ec o n o m y an d refl ec t s t h e i n d u st ry s p ri o ri t y fo r i n frast ru c t u re b u i l d o u t as esse n t i al fo r fu t u re g ro wt h C l i m a te C h a n g e H i g h ener g y c o st s i n t h e N o rt h h av e l o n g serv ed as a st ro n g i n c ent i v e t o m axi m i z e ener g y an d fu el effi c i enc y b u t ev i d enc e sug g est s t h at t h e p ro v erbi al l o w h an g i n g fru i t are g o n e m e an i n g fu t u re i m p ro v e m ent s wi l l b e i n c rem ent al an d g ra d u al b arr i n g a t ec h n o l o g i c al b reakt h ro u g h M o reo v er fu el swi t c h i n g o p p o rt u n i t i es i n rem o t e an d n o rt h ern C an ad a are l i m i t ed an d c o n t i n g ent o n g eo g rap h i c al c o n si d erat i o n s T o g et h er t h e i n frast ru c t u re d efi c i t an d t h e st a t e o f c u rren t l y av ai l ab l e t ec h n o l o g i es d o n o t p ro v i d e suf fi c i ent o p t i o n s t o d i spl ac e d i ese l and asso c i at ed em i ssi o n s i n t h e t i m efra m e n ee d ed n o r o n t h e sc al e requ i red so t h at c o m p an i es ab so rb t h e c a rb o n p ri c e al m o st ex c l u si v el y as a c o st o f d o i n g b u si n ess Fu rt h er ex t rem e t em p er at u res h av e n o t d e m o n st rat ed t h e v i ab i l i t y o f t h e c l ean fu el st an d ard fo r an i n d u st ri al ap p l i c at i o n i n a p an C an ad i an c o n t ex t A c o re c o m p o n ent o f M A C s eng ag e m ent wi t h d ec i si o n m akers i n al l c o n sul t at i o n c o n t ex t s t h at p ert ai n t o c l i m at e c h an g e p o l i c y o r reg u l at i o n i s ensu ri n g t h e sensi t i v i t y t o rem o t e an d n o r t h ern o ff g ri d o p erat i o n s i s u n d erst o o d an d t aken i n t o ac c o u n t