Better Health for All

Barrick Gold's mining operations have caused severe and widespread negative health impacts. Multiple toxic spills of cyanide, mercury, arsenic, lead, and aluminum from the Veladero mine in Argentina occurred between 2015 and 2022, with at least five spills in seven years, contaminating water systems.

Mercury levels in the Jáchal River increased by 150% after a 2016 spill and 300% after a 2017 spill. Communities near Veladero have been forced to use bottled water since 2015 due to contamination, with water sample results exceeding WHO and Argentine standards for safe human consumption. Residents near the Pueblo Viejo mine in the Dominican Republic report health problems including vision loss, nausea, fatigue, skin lesions, and elevated lead levels. The El Llagal tailings dam at Pueblo Viejo is classified as having an "Extreme" consequence of failure, potentially leading to over 100 deaths. The company was fined US$10 million in 2015 and US$5.6 million in 2016 and 2017 for spills. Barrick is accused of not reporting spills in a timely manner, concealing the extent of contamination, and withholding information from affected communities. Barrick denies 2022 contamination allegations and claims historical spill impacts were overstated, contradicting local communities and scientists. These operations have caused major pollution, livestock deaths, and crop failures, leading to food deserts and insecurity for local communities. Low-income and marginalized populations, including the 23,000 residents of Jáchal, are disproportionately affected. A 2007 relocation agreement for 369 families near Pueblo Viejo has only seen 65 families relocated, demonstrating a failure to address health disparities. Barrick announced a trust fund for community development projects, financed by 1.5% of gold sales from Veladero. In contrast, Barrick-operated Nevada Gold Mines opened a full-service infusion center in Elko, Nevada, expanding access to therapies for conditions like cancer and autoimmune disorders. Barrick also donated $1,000,000 to a $14.2 million long-term care facility project in Marathon, Ontario, to improve access for residents.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Barrick Gold Corporation is a gold and copper producer and does not operate as a financial institution. Consequently, the company does not offer lending, deposit, or other consumer financial services. Therefore, KPIs related to financial products, customer credit, debt, pricing, and financial literacy initiatives are not applicable to its core business model. While the company reports community investments, such as $48.9 million in 2024,

the evidence does not provide the percentage of annual pre-tax profit reinvested in community finance or profit-sharing with underserved communities, leading to the omission of the 'profit_reinvestment' KPI.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Barrick Gold's overall employee satisfaction rating is 3.9 out of 5

, which translates to 78%.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Barrick Gold has demonstrated significant delays in addressing human rights violations, with families still displaced as of February 2026 following evictions in December 2022, August, and September 2023.

This indicates that corrective plans for major violations remain open for over 365 days. In contrast, all companies, contractors, and suppliers working with Barrick are contractually required to adhere to the company's Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Human Rights Policy, and Supplier Code of Ethics. Additionally, in 2023, Barrick received 141 hotline reports, none of which related to modern slavery, including forced or child labor. The company also maintains a Group Risk Register to identify and manage key risks, including modern slavery and human rights risks.

Kind to Animals

Barrick Gold's operations have caused significant habitat degradation. Multiple mercury and cyanide spills occurred at its Veladero mine in Argentina in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

These spills led to mercury levels in the Jáchal River increasing by 150% in 2016 and 300% in 2017, impacting the surrounding ecosystem, local communities' water supply, livestock, and agriculture. The company was fined US$10 million in 2016 for a spill. While Barrick Gold has engaged in conservation initiatives, such as a partnership for white rhino reintroduction and a conservation plan for sage-grouse habitat across 582,000 acres in Nevada, no measurable biodiversity outcomes or specific funding percentages for these efforts were provided.

Planet-Friendly Business

Barrick has set Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction targets of 30% by 2030 against a 2018 baseline, and Scope 3 targets, with an implied alignment to science-based principles, but validation is not explicitly stated.

For supply chain climate transparency, 21% of 135 priority suppliers provided emissions data in 2024, covering 51% of total spend. The company's climate strategy and disclosures are aligned with TCFD recommendations, with climate-related risks integrated into its formal risk assessment process. Barrick conducts comprehensive climate scenario analyses, including SSP 1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 pathways, to assess transition and physical climate risks at specific sites. Barrick Gold Corporation was fined for cobalt discharge in British Columbia.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Barrick Gold reached an unlawful agreement with the Pakistani government regarding the Reko Diq mining site, which occurred without local consent.

Community members have contradicted Barrick's claims of good faith negotiations, reporting the arrival of heavy equipment and soldiers before negotiations began.

Safe & Smart Tech

Barrick Gold experienced an unauthorized data use incident between May 28 and June 2, 2023, when unauthorized access to its MOVEit servers compromised some consumer information.

The company completed its investigation on September 18, 2023, and filed a notice of data breach with the Montana Attorney General on October 27, 2023. Barrick has not publicly disclosed the impact of the attack or confirmed the incident, stating it does not comment on cybersecurity matters. In 2022, Barrick's CFO prioritized cybersecurity investments, establishing a cybersecurity risk committee, conducting third-party assessments, and implementing security awareness training.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Barrick Gold Inc. repeatedly discharged liquid waste with cobalt concentrations up to 7,011% above legal limits into Hedley Creek on 17 occasions between 2021 and 2023, leading to a $114,750 fine.

This represents multiple serious waste disposal violations and poor hazardous waste management. In terms of waste diversion, the company achieved an 85% water reuse or recycling rate across its operations in 2024. Barrick has implemented four waste reduction initiatives, including the recovery of sulphide concentrate from copper and gold tailings at Phoenix, which currently produces 400 tonnes daily and targets 1,000 tonnes daily by year-end. Other initiatives include a tailings reprocessing and pit backfill project at Golden Sunlight, reducing the volume of tails disposed at Porgera, and rolling out Glycine leaching technology to reduce or eliminate cyanide usage. The recovery of sulphide concentrate from tailings and the tailings reprocessing project are examples of applying circular design principles.