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“No Dirty Gold” is a project of not-for-profit group Earthworks.
Launched in 2004 it has been strikingly successful in getting jewelers and other retailers to sign on to their ‘Golden Rules’ of responsible gold mining, namely:
- Respect basic human rights outlined in international conventions and law
- Obtain the free, prior, and informed consent of affected communities.
- Respect workers’ rights and labor standards, including safe working conditions
- Ensure that operations are not located in areas of armed or militarized conflict
- Ensure that projects do not force communities off their lands
- Ensure that projects are not located in protected areas, fragile ecosystems, or other areas of high conservation or ecological value
- Refrain from dumping mine wastes into the ocean, rivers, lakes, or streams
- Ensure that projects do not contaminate water, soil, or air with sulfuric acid drainage or other toxic chemicals
- Cover all costs of closing down and cleaning up mine sites
- Fully disclose information about social and environmental effects of projects
- Allow independent verification of the above
Big news came a couple of weeks ago when Target USA, the nation’s third largest retailer, signed on. Way to go!
Target is the 34th major retailer to pledge support.
Jewelers of America, a national association representing over 10,000 jewelry retailers, has endorsed the campaign’s long term objectives.
No Dirty Gold is the perfect example of a responsibly-conducted labour rights campaign. They aren’t letting up either; Costco is next in their sights.
See also:
- Dirty Gold (7 Feb 2011) – links to HRW photo essay about the effect of the Porgera Gold Mine on the local community
[...] up with the passage of US Government regulation. Individual companies continue to sign on to the No Dirty Gold pledge. Recent campaigns directed at single companies have seen improvements at Ocean Sky, a [...]