Despite considerable ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the planetGOLD programme has nonetheless managed to advance toward its goals of helping small-scale gold miners avoid the use of mercury, as well as contributing to the creation of more sustainable livelihoods and creating a healthier and more profitable sector overall. This report provides an overview of the progress made by the planetGOLD programme from July 2020 through June 2021.
Despite producing an estimated 20% of the world’s annual supply of newly mined gold, the ASGM sector has traditionally had challenges connecting with the formal world gold market. While numerous formal buyers - from refiners to jewelers to premium-offering gold buying schemes - are all eager for gold produced by artisanal and small-scale gold miners, meeting rigorous standards for due diligence standards and responsible sourcing poses a challenge. This study examines the role that can be played by supply chain technologies in facilitating conformity with the planetGOLD Criteria by looking at specific types of supply chain solutions, including due diligence, traceability and block-chain solutions, and analyzing their capacity for establishing and strengthening market links between planetGOLD producers and formal gold market buyers.
The guidelines provide basic practical guidance for the environmentally sound storage, handling, and transport of liquid mercury and mercury wastes in Peru, particularly wastes consisting of used elemental mercury and mercury contaminated materials. The guidance is adapted to the needs of Peru, which aims to progressively eliminate mercury use in artisanal and small-scale mining, and has committed to manage mercury wastes in compliance with the Minamata and Basel conventions.
To assess the wealth of information generated in Minamata Convention National Action Plans (NAP) for ASGM sector, the finalized documents have been reviewed and quantitative and qualitative data has been extracted. Visit the website to explore the full database using the dynamic dashboards, browse thematic stories and see collection of maps with ASGM locations/regions extracted from the countries' NAP documents.
This research provides insights into the opportunities presented by technology as well as the pre-conditions and enabling environment required for technology to contribute effectively to responsible minerals production and sourcing. The report also addresses some limitations, emphasising the role of pre-existing processes, behaviours and stakeholder engagement in responsible minerals production and sourcing.
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