The mineral industries are on the brink of a new era. Emerging technologies to fight climate change require a multitude of mineral resources. The transition to renewable energy cannot be managed without the mineral industries. Consequently, this transition brings significant opportunities and challenges to mining stakeholders (e. g., mining corporations, governments, policymakers, regulators, local and Indigenous communities, and investors). Many governments have their critical and strategic minerals list. How these minerals will become available is not clear. Novel exploration, mining and processing techniques will be needed to meet increasing demand. There is not yet a detailed strategy on how, and under what rules, these mineral resources can be accessed. This lecture will discuss why it is necessary to establish an international policy and will focus on the need to develop responsible mining indicators, standards and best practices to achieve decarbonization. The industry needs to harmonize legal and regulative frameworks internationally. Policy and strategy development must be done in collaboration with sustainability and ecology initiatives. Finally, a robust innovation strategy will be required to keep a competitive edge for sustainable mining.