CUSMA Review Must Address Critical Minerals and Energy Inequities
Original framing: “Critical minerals and energy will be integral to the CUSMA review” — The Conversation - Global
Historical patterns of resource exploitation, driven by imperialist trade frameworks, are highlighted as a root cause of present inequities. The piece draws a line from past colonial extraction to current CUSMA negotiations, illustrating continuity. However, it does not fully map the longue durée of these dynamics across centuries.
The CUSMA review sits at the intersection of historic colonial extraction, contemporary scientific concerns, and emerging cross‑cultural knowledge, yet it currently neglects Indigenous governance and the voices of marginalised communities.
By embedding traditional ecological wisdom, leveraging Global South expertise, and instituting rigorous scientific assessments, the agreement can evolve from a trade‑centric pact to a framework for environmental justice and future‑oriented resilience. Systemic solutions that combine co‑management, knowledge exchange, circular economy mandates, and a just‑transition fund provide the structural pathways needed to align trade with equity and sustainability.