planetGOLD

The comparative analysis detailed in this document draws learnings from efforts undertaken by nine planetGOLD countries participating in the first phase of the programme, by highlighting similarities and differences between different geographic and regulatory environments. This analysis draws on detailed case studies of these country experiences.

View the case studies here

This report examines the relationship between national fiscal regimes and the formality of the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector. Specifically, the study attempts to determine whether and to what extent a country’s fiscal regime – the total of taxes, fees, and royalties – acts as significant factor pushing ASGM producers and exporters into informality. The report addresses the production segment of the gold supply chain from the commercialisation segment and focusses specifically on nine planetGOLD countries: Burkina Faso, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Indonesia, Kenya, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Peru. 

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining's predominantly informal nature, regulatory constraints, financial limitations, and difficulties in meeting compliance standards all present challenges for miners to access formal markets. This report assesses the efficacy of planetGOLD ASGM supply chain mechanisms — focusing on experiences from country projects funded during the program's first phase, with the objective of distilling key insights for similar ASGM market access initiatives.

This Annual Progress Report features key activities, milestones, and figures from 23 country projects across the programme for the July 2022 – June 2023 reporting period. In addition to narrative summaries of key activities and accomplishments among these projects, this report incorporates data on four key output indicators that are tracked across the programme: tonnes of mercury abated; number of miners supported in their formalization processes; amount of money made available to ASGM through financial mechanisms; and amount of responsible ASGM gold produced.

Este informe orienta a las entidades planetGOLD dedicadas a la extracción de oro artesanal y en pequeña escala (MAPE) para que cumplan los Criterios planetGOLD para Operaciones Medioambiental y Socialmente Responsables, en concreto un criterio que exige a las entidades dedicadas a la MAPE que consulten y obtengan el consentimiento libre, previo e informado (CLPI) de cualquier comunidad indígena o tribal cuyos derechos o tierras puedan verse afectados.

Ce rapport fournit des conseils aux entités d'exploitation minière artisanale et à petite échelle de l'or (EMAPE) de planetGOLD pour qu'elles se conforment aux critères planetGOLD pour des opérations responsables sur le plan environnemental et social, en particulier un critère qui exige que les entités d'EMAPE consultent et obtiennent le consentement libre, préalable et éclairé (CLPI) de toute communauté indigène ou tribale dont les droits ou les terres peuvent être affectés.

This report provides guidance for planetGOLD ASGM entities to conform with the planetGOLD Criteria for Environmentally and Socially Responsible Operations, specifically one criterion that requires ASGM entities to consult with and seek free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) from any Indigenous or tribal community whose rights or lands may be impacted. Ce rapport est disponible en Français. Este informe está disponible en Español. 

This document provides an overview of the interventions that have been carried out across the planetGOLD programme as of June 2023 to advance responsible mining and eliminate mercury from the ASGM gold supply chain, through technology transfer, technical support, training, and sharing knowledge on best practices in mercury-free gold processing.

This report documenting planetGOLD’s progress from July 2021 through June 2022 shows how project teams in planetGOLD made key advances toward helping miners go mercury-free, by improving miners’ awareness of the dangers of mercury use, educating and demonstrating to them viable technical alternatives, and progressing in creating an enabling regulatory and financial environment that supports miners to undertake this transition. 

The report is also available in French and Spanish.

When artisanal and small-scale miners produce gold observing relevant environmental, social and governance standards, practical barriers to accessing international markets typically still remain. This report aims to inform the funders, leaders, and managers of existing and planned ASGM Market Access Initiatives, to highlight the impediments such initiatives face in establishing a flow of formal responsible ASM gold into international markets.