Benzinga·2025-09-14 15:16Group 1: Emissions and Environmental Impact - Global gold producers have reduced combined Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse-gas emissions to below 30 million tons of CO₂ equivalent in 2024, marking the lowest level in a decade [1] - Absolute emissions from the industry's top miners fell 2% year-on-year to 29.9 million tons CO₂e, representing the fourth consecutive annual decline [2] - Scope 3 emissions rose 2% to 26.2 million tons, indicating challenges in addressing downstream impacts [3] Group 2: Renewable Energy Initiatives - The report highlights renewable energy adoption, with Barrick and Newmont's Nevada joint venture commissioning a solar facility expected to cut 234,000 tons CO₂e annually [4] - AngloGold Ashanti connected its Geita mine in Tanzania to the national grid, while Kinross reduced diesel use at Bald Mountain [4] - Despite these efforts, challenges remain, as Solidcore Resources in Kazakhstan lost access to renewable power, illustrating the fragility of decarbonization pathways [4] Group 3: Energy Usage and Sustainability - Energy usage within the industry is uneven, with average intensity stable at around 9.3 gigajoules per ounce, nearly one-third higher than a decade ago [5] - Renewables supply only 10% of the sector's electricity, with the US and Australia showing promise in electrification efforts, while many African and Latin American projects still rely on fossil fuels [5] - Declining ore grades mean more rock is processed for each ounce of gold, increasing energy use, waste, and water intensity despite improvements in absolute totals [8] Group 4: Safety Performance - Safety performance has deteriorated, with fatalities across 14 analyzed companies rising to 27 in 2024, up from 24 the previous year [6] - More than half of the fatalities occurred in underground operations in Africa, where seismic events and fall-of-ground accidents are common [6] - While some companies like Northern Star and B2Gold extended their fatality-free records, eight firms reported fatalities, reversing two years of improvement [7] Group 5: Emissions from Non-Carbon Pollutants - Sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions fell 16% and 8%, respectively, indicating progress on non-carbon pollutants [8] Group 6: Industry Dynamics - The inclusion of China's Zijin Mining and Shandong among the world's top 15 producers highlights shifting dynamics, with Zijin reporting the highest single-company emissions and nearly a billion tons of waste rock [9] - Zijin also leads in socio-economic payments, reflecting Beijing's dual mandate of growth and local benefit [9]