PDAC 2020

Earlier this month, planetGOLD hosted an exhibit at the 2020 Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention—the world’s largest mining and mineral exploration convention—to talk about socially responsible investing opportunities in artisanal & small-scale gold mining and to highlight planetGOLD's work with 9 countries to promote safe, cost-effective ASGM mining practices that benefit everyone, from mine to market.

This press release announcing the launch of the GEF GOLD (now called planetGOLD) programme emphasizes the urgent action that is needed to reform the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASGM) sector and protect millions of men, women and children exposed to toxic levels of mercury through gold production every year.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is the world's largest employer in the extraction sector, with up to 15 million miners in 70 countries. It is also a big business, supplying up to 20 percent of the world's gold. But widespread use of mercury in the sector means it also comes at a huge cost to public health. This article introduces the work the GEF GOLD programme (now planetGOLD) does to upgrade the practices of small-scale miners.

Introducing the new planetGOLD programme website—your destination for details about the work we are carrying out around the world with funding from the Global Environment Facility to showcase the opportunity for developing responsible, mercury-free gold. On this website you will find details about each of our projects and how they are helping to make artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) safer for human health and the environment. You will also find an ever-growing repository of resources and information showcasing experiences, knowledge gained, and materials produced by the global community working on ASGM issues.