Mining Association of Canada

What Mining Association of Canada does

The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) is a federally recognized, membership-based trade association headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, that has served as the national voice of the Canadian mining industry since 1935. It represents most Canadian production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal, mined oil sands, and industrial minerals, with member companies including Agnico Eagle, Teck Resources, Rio Tinto, Hudbay Minerals, and New Gold. The Canadian mining sector contributes approximately $125 billion to GDP (about 5% of national GDP), supports roughly 665,000 jobs, and accounts for 22% of Canada's total domestic exports. MAC's core product is the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) program — a globally recognized sustainability framework covering 30 performance indicators across climate change, tailings management, water stewardship, Indigenous and community relationships, safety and health, biodiversity, crisis management, and preventing child and forced labour. TSM is mandatory for all MAC members and requires facility-level reporting and external audits on a three-year cycle. Beyond TSM, MAC runs the TSM Excellence Awards, publishes Facts & Figures reports and The Mining Story newsletter, manages the Paul Stothart Memorial Scholarship, and produces educational video and story content. The organization is structured as a non-profit with 1–10 employees and is governed by a Board of Directors elected from its member companies; in June 2024, the Board granted the independent TSM Community of Interest Advisory Panel decision-making authority over the program. Revenue is generated through member dues (the primary stream) and, since July 2023, a paid TSM subscription service for global mining companies outside the Canadian membership, with the first subscriber being Ioneer, a US-based lithium-boron producer. MAC engages in federal and provincial policy advocacy, supports international TSM adoption (now 14+ national mining associations worldwide), and participates in the 2025 Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative with ICMM, The Copper Mark, and the World Gold Council.

Name

Mining Association of Canada

Legal name

The Mining Association of Canada

Website

https://mining.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) is a national trade association, founded in 1935 and headquartered in Ottawa, that represents Canadian mining producers through advocacy, policy work, and the globally adopted Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) sustainability standard.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mining Industry Association Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (213), Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114)

SIC

Metal Mining (1000)

akta.pro primary industry

ESG, Traceability & Certification Services (Responsible Sourcing) (IMAKAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental, Permitting & Closure Services (EIA, Compliance Monitoring, Reclamation Execution) (IMAKAKAJ), Decarbonization Strategy & Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) Advisory (EUABAKAC)

Keywords

• Mining industry association
• Sustainable mining standards
• ESG framework mining
• Minerals sector advocacy
• Industry certification programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: MAC generates revenue through membership dues from mining company members. The association's members account for most of Canada's production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal, mined oil sands and industrial minerals.
2. TSM Subscription Service: MAC offers TSM as a subscription service for global mining companies to publicly report on key sustainability data.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) is a national trade association that delivers the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) sustainability program — a mandatory, site-level assessment framework covering climate change, tailings, water, biodiversity, Indigenous relations, and other ESG topics. MAC also offers TSM as a subscription service to global mining companies and provides industry advocacy, policy engagement, public education, and standards verification to its member mining companies.

Product overview

The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) operates as the national voice of the Canadian mining industry since 1935. Its primary product and service offering is the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) program, a globally recognized sustainability framework that is mandatory for all MAC member companies. TSM is complemented by a subscription service for global adoption, the TSM Excellence Awards recognizing industry leadership, and a comprehensive suite of protocols covering environmental and social performance areas including climate change, tailings management, water stewardship, and Indigenous relations. Beyond TSM, MAC provides educational resources including The Mining Story newsletter, Canadian Mining Stories profiles, the Paul Stothart Memorial Scholarship for mineral economics students, annual Facts & Figures reports on industry trends, and video content highlighting mining's role in the green economy. The organization functions as an industry association rather than a technology company, offering programs, standards, and educational content rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM): A globally recognized sustainability program that supports mining companies in managing key environmental and social responsibilities, including climate change, tailings management, water stewardship, Indigenous and community relationships, safety and health, biodiversity conservation, crisis management, and preventing child and forced labour.

Products and services

• Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) A globally recognized sustainability program supporting mining companies in managing environmental and social responsibilities. TSM is the first mining sustainability standard to require site-level assessments and is mandatory for all MAC member companies, with reporting against 30 distinct performance indicators.
• TSM Subscription Service A subscription service enabling global mining companies outside of MAC membership to publicly report on key sustainability data and ESG metrics under the TSM framework.
• TSM Excellence Awards Annual awards program recognizing mining companies for exemplary responsible practices and strong ESG commitments, including the TSM Environmental Excellence Award and TSM Community Engagement Excellence Award.
• TSM Protocols and Guides A suite of detailed TSM protocols covering climate change, tailings management, water stewardship, Indigenous and community relationships, safety and health, biodiversity conservation, crisis management, preventing child and forced labour, and equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplaces.
• Facts & Figures Reports Annual flagship publication detailing the latest trends and statistics in the Canadian mining industry, including economic impact, employment, and sustainability metrics.
• Paul Stothart Memorial Scholarship Annual scholarship in mineral economics recognizing innovative work by students pursuing advanced degrees in business administration or economics related to the mining sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• As one of the lowest carbon-intensity producers of mined products in the world, Canada fulfills the need for minerals and metals with higher environmental and social standards than most competing mining jurisdictions.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Miners Association of Türkiye (MAT)majorTechnology or Integration · 15 September 2025Turkey's mining association adopted Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM), making it the 14th mining association globally and 6th in Latin America to adopt the standard.
• Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI) PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2025CMSI partners including The Copper Mark, International Council on Metals and Mining (ICMM), Mining Association of Canada (MAC), and World Gold Council announced the publication of the Governance Model for the consolidated mining standard initiative.
• Mongolian National Mining Association (MNMA)majorTechnology or Integration · 4 October 2024Mongolia adopted TSM during National Mining Week, becoming the 13th mining association globally to adopt the standard.
• The Copper MarkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2024MAC and The Copper Mark announced a collaboration on an important pilot project to enhance the assurance processes of both TSM and the Copper Mark standards. The partnership aims to improve accountability, transparency, and credibility in responsible mining verification.
• Cámara Minera de Panamá (CAMIPA)majorTechnology or Integration · 31 March 2023Panama's national mining chamber adopted TSM, joining 12 other mining associations globally and becoming the 6th in Latin America to adopt the standard.
• Cámara Minera de México (CAMIMEX)majorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Mexico's national mining chamber adopted TSM at the PDAC annual convention, committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% before 2030.
• Government of CanadacoreOthersMAC works with federal and provincial governments on policies affecting the mining sector, including critical minerals strategy, Budget measures, and regulatory effectiveness initiatives.
• TSM Community of Interest Advisory PanelcoreOthersIndependent advisory panel with representatives from Indigenous communities, environmental organizations, labour, finance, local mining communities, social and faith-based organizations and academia that provides oversight and guidance on TSM.
• International Council on Metals and Mining (ICMM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICMM is a key partner in the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI) alongside MAC, The Copper Mark, and World Gold Council to develop a unified global mining standard.
• World Gold CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Gold Council is a key partner in the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI) working to consolidate responsible mining standards globally.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Council on Metals and Mining (ICMM): Global mining industry association that, like MAC, develops and promotes sustainability standards and is a founding CMSI partner with MAC. Operates at a larger global scale, serving as the closest direct peer to MAC's TSM franchise.
• Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA): Independent multi-stakeholder initiative that developed a competing standard for responsible mining with third-party verification, directly comparable to TSM as a mine-level ESG assurance framework, and a potential competitor or alignment partner for MAC's TSM.
• The Copper Mark: Voluntary assurance framework for the copper, molybdenum, nickel and zinc supply chain, partnering with MAC in the CMSI and piloting joint assurance processes with TSM. Directly comparable as a mining ESG certification program with third-party verification.
• World Gold Council: Industry body for the gold sector that co-leads the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative with MAC and operates the Responsible Gold Mining Principles. Comparable as a commodity-focused association developing ESG frameworks with external assurance.
• Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM): Canadian professional society for the mining sector, co-host of the CIM Awards Gala where MAC presents TSM Excellence Awards. Similar Canadian mining ecosystem presence, focused on technical/professional standards rather than ESG certification.

Broad incumbents

• Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME): US-based professional society serving mining professionals globally. Overlaps with MAC on technical standards and member professional development, but is broader in scope and not focused on ESG certification like TSM.

Regional players

• Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC): Canadian association representing the mineral exploration and development sector; comparable as a Canada-based mining association whose convention MAC actively participates in. Different focus (exploration vs. operating mines) but same national mandate profile.
• Minerals Council of Australia: Australia's national mining industry association, analogous to MAC's role in Canada. Comparable as a regional trade association that advocates for mining policy, runs ESG programs and represents most domestic mineral production.
• Minerals Council South Africa: National chamber representing South African mining companies, comparable to MAC in mandate (advocacy, ESG, member services) but serving a different mining jurisdiction with very different commodity mix.
• Instituto Brasileiro de Mineração (IBRAM): Brazil's national mining industry association, comparable in function to MAC. Notably, Brazil was among the early adopters of MAC's TSM outside Canada, making IBRAM a similar-mandate association that also touches TSM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theminingstory
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCn3iXFD8KK8X
• Facebookfacebook.com/miningca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mining-association-of-canada
• Instagraminstagram.com/theminingstory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mining Association of Canada