Key points
- Payments to governments by the 18 miners covered jumped 77% to $18.2 billion in 2025, led by Barrick Mining at $4.6 billion, with West African fiscal changes a key driver.
- Combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions held at 29.9 million metric tons of CO2, but emissions intensity rose 7% and energy intensity hit a record 10.2 GJ per gold-equivalent ounce.
- Fatalities fell to 21, the lowest since the pandemic, with Northern Star and B2Gold extending fatality-free records to 12 and 10 years.
The world’s largest gold miners are delivering on safety, community spending and government contributions, but rising energy and emissions intensity show the environmental side of the ledger still needs work, according to precious metals consultancy Metals Focus.
Its Gold ESG Focus 2026 report benchmarks environmental, social and governance performance across 18 major producers.
It also looks at industry-wide initiatives, including the London Bullion Market Association’s Responsible Gold Guidance and the Gold Bar Integrity program developed with the World Gold Council.
The stakes have become concrete. During 2025, extreme weather and political unrest halted processing or suspended operations at several gold mines.
Consequently, Metals Focus argues that environmental and social risks now bear directly on whether a mine keeps producing, which makes robust ESG frameworks a strategic necessity rather than a reporting exercise.
Emissions flat, intensity climbing
Combined Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions stayed virtually unchanged at 29.9 million metric tons of CO2. Underneath that headline, the two categories moved in opposite directions.
Scope 1 emissions rose after two years of declines, pushed by production changes and mergers and acquisitions.
South African producers stayed the largest Scope 2 emitters because they depend on Eskom, whose energy mix is 82% coal.
Even so, average emissions intensity rose 7% to 0.9 metric tons of CO2 per gold-equivalent ounce, reflecting higher Scope 1 output against lower gold supply.
Scope 3 emissions dropped 9%, although mine supply director Sarah Tomlinson cautioned that changes in reporting methods and procurement patterns influenced the result.
Energy use followed the same pattern. Total consumption climbed 4.8% to 334 petajoules, while energy intensity jumped 12% to 10.2 gigajoules per gold-equivalent ounce, the highest in the dataset and 47% above 2016.
Deep-level underground mining remained especially energy intensive, and direct energy use rose 17% to make up 71% of the total.
Money flows and safety gains
The social indicators were considerably stronger. Payments to governments surged 77% to $18.2 billion, lifted by higher gold prices and fiscal changes, particularly in West Africa. Barrick Mining led with $4.6 billion.
In addition, local procurement rose for the eighth straight year, up $1.7 billion to $30.8 billion, with eight producers reporting record spending.
Gold Fields spent $1.3 billion with host communities, and Agnico Eagle awarded more than $1.2 billion to Indigenous businesses.
Safety improved as well. Fatalities fell to 21 in 2025, the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic, though most occurred in Africa and underground, with ground instability, mobile equipment and materials handling the principal risks. Northern Star Resources and B2Gold stretched their fatality-free records to 12 and 10 years.
Ultimately, Tomlinson said, those results underline why strong safety systems and risk management remain central as the industry works toward zero harm.
