More mining, not less, will be needed to build the electric cars and clean energy systems that consumers and governments are demanding.
Sources of battery minerals, rare earths and base metals needed for the clean energy revolution are being spruiked at an annual mining bash in outback Australia's biggest city.
Governments should also be thinking about future economic growth in other ways, so that it improves living conditions and standards at work, keynote speaker Linda Yueh told day one of the Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum on Monday.
Explorers, developers and producers are increasingly expected to run low-carbon operations with high sustainability standards to lock in investors and customers.
"I'm hopeful that this can happen - if we can just get past this year and no more extreme shocks happen," economist Dr Yueh said.
Linden Brownley urged mining executives and financiers to also say yes to changing the lives of young Indigenous men and women.
"Change can be daunting," the Wongatha man said, delivering the Welcome to Country to open the three-day forum in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
"You may be confused at this critical time for our country," the local Aboriginal leader said.
He urged mining bosses and investors to consider the disparity in the community and build partnerships with industry that have the ability to change people's lives.
"Saying yes means meaningful partnerships and building real relationships," he said.
"This is how we can change our community and, if we're lucky, this is how we can change our country."
A startup, First Nation Engineering, is celebrating the completion of its first contract - providing engineering design and procurement services to Northern Star Resources - after a joint venture was struck at last year's Diggers.
Once dominated by gold miners, the forum is a rite of passage for up and coming resources companies, suppliers, analysts and investors.
Heritage laws and inclusive workplaces are on the agenda, several years after Rio Tinto blew up an ancient sacred site and a year after shocking revelations about sexual harassment at mine sites.
More women are taking to the conference podium this year but make up a mere five per cent among dozens of speakers as the sector continues to grapple with workplace diversity and skills shortages.
The push for onshore processing and sovereign battery manufacturing is adding further impetus for the 2500 delegates from nearly 1000 companies who have taken over the small town.
They are adding their voice to calls for state and federal governments to do more to bankroll costly facilities and fast-track planning approvals for more value-adding processing onshore.
Australia may quality for preferential access to supply North American automakers, but mining executives said they were concerned the mining industry was still in second gear.
Deloitte partner Celia Hayes said falling short on 2030 emissions reduction and sustainability goals was another fundamental risk to the mining sector and the broader economy.
A competition was run to determine what a more sustainable mining industry looks like to young people, which has fed into a Just START report released by Deloitte at the event.
Those surveyed believe the mining sector can influence other industries by leading the way through investing in people – including early engagement with high school students – reducing waste and reducing the impact on water, biodiversity, and natural capital.
"Society has an increasingly significant influence on the direction of the mining sector, and companies must now focus on meeting these broader expectations," Ms Hayes said.
