VANCOUVER, BC, November 10, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marking the United Nations International observation for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment is the call for nations to defend mineral sovereignty.
A new Ipsos Canada poll has revealed that 64% of Canadians believe their federal government should block the sale of national resource companies — in oil and gas, forestry, and mining — to foreign buyers. The results signal a surge in global resource nationalism and growing public sentiment toward reclaiming sovereignty over mineral wealth.
https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/64-canadians-want-foreign-sales-resources-blocked
The CEO of Ipsos Global Public Affairs, Darrel Bricker, stated: "If globalization is being challenged, particularly by our southern neighbour, then we have to protect our key assets, and our key assets are natural resources."
"Canadians understand that natural resources are the fundamental driver of our economy. Anybody trying to buy a Canadian natural resource asset must be very, very careful."
The poll reflects a broader global awareness, that control of critical minerals is linked to national identity, climate transition and community justice.
Mining Weekly Canada article on 19 September 2025, "Indigenous Opposition Clouds Teck–Anglo Tie-Up" explains how the Osoyoos Indian Band of British Columbia publicly opposed the proposed $53-billion merger between Teck Resources and Anglo American.
https://m.miningweekly.com/article/indigenous-opposition-clouds-teck-anglo-tie-up-2025-09-19
Chief Clarence Louie, Osoyoos Indian Band said: "Deals of this scale have the possibility of significant impacts on Indigenous Nations and our people. These deals cannot be completed without the title-holders on whose lands these mines and smelters are situated being included.."
The Band, part of the Syilx Nation, described Teck's century-old smelter at Trail as a symbol of extraction without benefit, noting that new expansion plans worth CAD$750 million were being negotiated without consultation.
These grievances mirror those of many South African mining communities affected by Anglo American's operations.
South Africa's Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act declares minerals to be the "common heritage of all the people." Yet communities note that the lived reality falls short in critical ways:
• Communities remain excluded from decision-making and benefit-sharing.
• Foreign-capital dependence continues to erode sovereignty.
• Downstream beneficiation lags behind potential in platinum-group metals, rare earths, and titanium.
• Governance mistrust weakens the state's ability to act in the public interest.
The Osoyoos Indian Band's statement is identical to lived realities of mining affected communities in South Africa. Both contexts expose an enduring system of extraction without adequate restitution and consultation without consent.
While Mining Weekly Canada reports Indigenous opposition to proposed foreign mergers, industry media in South Africa seemingly lack a comparable rapport with stories from South African communities.
When multinational mining companies underwrite advertising, sponsorships, and 'thought-leadership' features in the same outlets meant to hold them accountable, then press freedom becomes transactional. Democracy must thrive on truth from all sectors of society, including those most affected by extraction.
The Ipsos poll provides empirical evidence that ordinary citizens no longer support the unchecked consolidation of natural resources.
In this context, the proposed Anglo–Teck merger represents exactly the type of geo-economic manoeuvre that citizens are warning against — one that shifts control of critical-mineral supply chains from the public to global financial centres.
While Canadians demand government action to protect domestic resource companies, proposed mergers such as Anglo–Teck appear to advance in the Global South with minimal public scrutiny.
With South Africa's Public Investment Corporation (PIC) — a custodian of millions of workers' pensions — among Anglo's largest shareholders, there is a clear warning that proposed deals risk reinforcing economic dependency and the potential risk for state capture.
This latest Ipsos poll and the Osoyoos Indian Band's resistance, reflect a broader public trend, where citizens across continents are asserting the right to equitable and inclusive development, and sustainable management of natural endowments.
Evidence-based statistics from research organisations indicate the desire of citizens to call on governments to act as responsible custodians of mineral sovereignty. The global trend of corporate mergers, challenges that principle, deepening the divide between those who extract wealth and those who live with its consequences.
This United Nations observance is a reminder that environmental exploitation in any form, undermines the projects of peace, equity, and a celebration of humanity that the world is united for during the month of November 2025 and beyond.
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