39 - planetGOLD: A Pathway to Reducing Global Mercury Pollution from Artisanal and Small- Scale Gold Mining

Artisanal and small-scale miners are responsible for producing 20 percent of the world’s gold each year. Due to limited economic opportunities or a lack of awareness about the dangers, many of these small-scale mining operations use the highly toxic chemical mercury to extract their gold, making this sector the largest source of mercury pollution in the world. The planetGOLD programme is currently active in nine countries (Burkina Faso, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Indonesia, Kenya, Mongolia, Peru, and the Philippines) and expansion is planned in a further 14 countries. planetGOLD plans to significantly improve the production practices and work environment of artisanal and small-scale miners through the introduction of mercury-free technologies and best practices in ASGM in these countries. To accelerate uptake of these technologies, the programme is also: supporting efforts to formalize the sector; piloting a range of models for access to finance; and facilitating miners’ access to formal gold supply chains. An overview of the implementation of the programme to date will be presented, focusing on efforts by the global coordinating component to accelerate global mercury reductions in ASGM through enhanced knowledge management and communications.