Major institutional investors managing trillions in assets are increasingly looking to Canada's Indigenous equity partnership model as a benchmark for responsible mining investment, according to Adam Matthews, chief responsible investment officer at the Church of England Pensions Board, in a recent interview on Drumbeats, a podcast for investors interested in Indigenous investment in Canada.
Matthews, who chairs the Global Investor Commission on Mining 2030 representing 125 institutional investors with $19 trillion in assets, recently spoke at the 2026 Canadian Indigenous Investment Summit in London, England. He explained how global investment frameworks are evolving to incorporate Indigenous rights and partnership structures into capital allocation decisions.
"When I look at the model that Canada has developed, what I'm seeing is not just a tick-box approach to consent, but genuine partnership structures that create ongoing relationships," Matthews said. "That's exactly what we need to see more of globally."
The Church of England Pensions Board manages £6 billion (CDN $11 billion) for 44,000 clergy members, with investment horizons extending into the 2100s. Matthews emphasized that mining represents far more strategic importance to global portfolios than direct holdings might suggest.
"Mining is systemically important. It's much more strategically significant than most investors' direct investments would lead you to believe," he explained. "When you look at all the sectors dependent on mining, rather than just your mining holdings, you see the sector very differently."
Building investment frameworks around Indigenous rights
The Global Investor Commission on Mining 2030 has set an ambitious target for all mining companies to operate to the highest performance standards by 2035. Matthews described how the commission is developing an Investor Mining Performance Framework that explicitly incorporates Indigenous rights and partnership models into investment assessment criteria.
"We're building criteria around Free, Prior and Informed Consent explicitly into that tool," Matthews said. "It will inform us of the risks companies are exposed to and hopefully differentiate those best practitioners."
Matthews distinguished between authentic Indigenous partnership and superficial compliance approaches. He noted that genuine consent involves ongoing dialogue and relationship-building rather than one-time approvals.
"Consent isn't something you get to once and tick a box. Consent is something you continually work towards," he observed. "You can have agreement, but that agreement comes through genuine dialogue, respectful dialogue, acknowledging rights."
Canada's constitutional advantage creates investment opportunities
The institutional investor explained how Indigenous equity participation represents an ideal form of consent and creates attractive investment propositions. He sees Canada's constitutional framework and legal precedents as providing Indigenous communities with both legal and commercial leverage that doesn't exist in many other jurisdictions.
Matthews positioned Canada's approach within broader global trends toward middle-power cooperation and rules-based international systems. He referenced Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent Davos speech, which highlighted Canadian pension funds and mineral resources as key solutions to global economic fragmentation.
Faith-based investing maintains ESG commitment
Despite political pushback against ESG investing in some regions, Matthews emphasized many institutional investors, including in the United States, remain committed to responsible investment approaches. He described climate transition and Indigenous rights as trends where "the train has left the station."
"There's still a very significant constituency of investors that see the risk of issues like climate and the need to embed sustainability and the importance of long-termism," he said.
The Church of England Pensions Board operates as a faith-based investor that interprets religious teachings into investment practice while maintaining fiduciary responsibilities. Matthews explained that the fund surveys its members regularly and receives strong support for its responsible investment approach.
"We don't see financial returns and social impact as being in competition," Matthews said. "You can hold both things together and look at what that practically means in terms of the decisions we make."
As global investors seek stable, responsible mining partnerships, Matthews suggested Canada's Indigenous equity model could become "one of the next great exports from Canada," providing frameworks for meaningful partnership even in jurisdictions without constitutional Indigenous rights.
The investor mining performance framework being developed by the Global Investor Commission is expected to link Indigenous partnership standards to investment indices and debt products, creating financial incentives for companies to adopt best practices in Indigenous engagement and partnership development.
To access the full interview, please visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG5ArXbi-C4&t=16s
Drumbeats is born from the Canadian Indigenous Investment Summit and focuses on the nexus of Indigenous economic strategies and investment opportunities. Hosts Mark Magnacca and Rob Brant, co-chairs of the Summit, lead engaging interviews and expert analyses that explore how these crucial conversations impact economic development within Indigenous communities and beyond.
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