Barrick Gold Corp. has published a sustainability 2022 report on the company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. The report is based on alignment with the objectives of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs), said Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow.

Bristow said that by using the SDGs as the central framework of the report, the company is better able to link an integrated approach to sustainability management, and avoids siloed thinking and mere box ticking.

This is Barrick’s fifth ESG-related report since its merger with Randgold Resources in 2019.

“Our sustainability approach allows us to tackle the challenges of alleviating poverty, managing changes to the climate and preserving biodiversity holistically and concurrently because they are inextricably connected,” said Bristow.

Barrick generated more than $10.7 billion in economic value and created 21,000 jobs in 2022. The company reports that 96 percent of its employees and 78 percent of its senior site managers are host country nationals, and $1.4 billion worth of goods and services were procured from suppliers in the communities closest to its mines.

The company invested more than $36 million in community development projects from education facilities in Nevada to business incubators in the Dominican Republic and gender-based violence awareness in Tanzania.

Barrick has set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for itself and said it lowered emissions last year, which were 6 percent lower than the year before and an 11 percent reduction against its 2018 baseline target.

“Our vision is to create the world’s most valued gold and copper mining company by creating long-term value for all our stakeholders, driving social and economic development in our host communities and countries, and to responsibly manage the impact of our business on the environment,” said Bristow.

You can read and download the report here for free.

Image courtesy of Barrick.