This webinar and panel discussion will examine the widespread use of mercury in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector and what role members of the jewellery industry can play in order to ‘Mind the Gold we Mine’.
Key takeaways
- To Illustrate the negative health effects of mercury on people, with ASGM being the leading source of mercury pollution globally.
- To educate on technical solutions for mercury-free mining with comprehensive solutions that involve building trust with miners so they can ecologically close their mining sites using rain forest restoration.
- Call for action: the jewellery industry has a role to play in making real change by exhibiting top level leadership in action and highlighting the solutions.
Speakers
- Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director, Responsible Jewellery Council
- Dr. Jack Caravanos DrPH, CIH Director of Research NYU
- Toby Pomeroy, Founder & Executive Director, Mercury Free Mining
- Jen Marraccino, Senior Director of Development, Pure Earth
- Yves Bertran Alvarez, Executive Director, Alliance for Responsible Mining Europe
- Nere Emiko, Vice Chairman, Kian Smith Trade & Co Limited
Schedule
- Welcome & Introduction
- A background on Mercury mining
- Mercury Free mining – who we are
- Pure Earth – who we are
- Panel Discussion – implementing mercury free mining
- Q&A
- Closing
Background
About 20% of the world’s gold is produced by the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector. This sector is also responsible for the largest releases of mercury to the environment of any sector globally. A major source of air pollution, artisanal and small-scale gold mining release approximately 400 metric tons of airborne mercury each year.
To reduce the use of mercury in mining, two organizations, Mercury Free Mining and Pure Earth, are leading efforts to find and provide alternatives to the use of mercury in gold mining. They are dedicated to discovering a pathway toward responsibly sourced gold that helps protect the industry and consumer confidence.
In this session, they will share what they are doing to address mercury pollution as well as how the industry can help in maintaining and improving the livelihoods of miners, transitioning them to be mercury-free and giving hope to gold miners around the world now and into the future.
