Canada’s mining sector generated C$111 billion of GDP in 2024 and C$152 billion in mineral exports (21% of all merchandise exports), yet the Mining Association of Canada is warning that slow project approvals and uncompetitive fiscal terms are eroding the country’s position amid volatile, trade-restricted critical mineral markets. MAC is urging Ottawa to accelerate federal impact assessments and permitting, improve federal‑provincial coordination, and expand northern geoscience and resource assessments. It also wants broader Canadian Exploration Expense eligibility, tax credits for brownfield expansions, and rapid implementation of 2025 budget measures such as clean technology credits and accelerated capital cost allowances.

Defra and Natural England have launched a call for evidence, open until 22 May 2026, asking developers and construction contractors to share practical experience of great crested newt protection on housing and infrastructure schemes. Supported by consultants LUC and ICF, the review targets on-site measures such as exclusion fencing, pitfall trapping, seasonal timing of earthworks and licensing delays. Responses could influence future mitigation licensing, survey requirements and design-stage constraints on sites where newt habitats intersect with foundations, drainage and earthworks.

King Charles III’s first King’s Speech under the new Labour government offered almost no concrete legislative detail for construction or infrastructure, leaving professional bodies such as RIBA and CIOB largely underwhelmed. Representatives from the Residential Freehold Association and Churchill Living also struggled to identify clear implications for planning reform, building safety, or long-term capital investment. For engineers and contractors, the absence of specific commitments on housing delivery targets, infrastructure pipelines, or regulatory changes signals continued policy uncertainty heading into 2025.