No Dirty Gold Launches New Campaign

The No Dirt Gold Campaign is calling on jewelry firms and other business that use gold, to insist the gold they buy and sell is produced in ways that do not harm communities, workers, and the environment. In October, the first in a series of advertisements to be published in U.S. publications appeared, with others to follow.

The tagline in the placement reads, “Love. Romance. Commitment. Destruction.” The subtext below reads, “We need to clean up the gold mining business before it tarnishes the jewelry industry.” It's followed by an appeal to retailers to urge the mining industry to make reforms regarding gold mining operations.

According to Earthworks’ CEO and No Dirty Gold campaign director, retailers are being urged to sign-on to concrete criteria for more responsible gold mining, also referred to as the ‘Golden Rules'.

Campaign supporters say the No Dirty Gold campaign is not a boycott on gold, but rather, seeks to educate consumers about the harmful impacts of gold mining and to build consumer support for industry reforms.

The campaign demands that gold mining companies meet the following criteria:

• Respect for basic human rights outlined in international conventions and law
• Free, prior, and informed consent of affected communities
• Safe working conditions
• Respect for workers’ rights and labor standards (including the eight core ILO conventions)
• Ensure that operations are not located in areas of armed or militarized conflict
• Ensure that projects do not force communities off their lands
• No dumping of mine wastes into the ocean, rivers, lakes, or streams
• Ensure that projects are not located in protected areas, fragile ecosystems or other areas of high conservation value
• Ensure that projects do not generate sulfuric acid in perpetuity
• Cover all costs of closing down and cleaning up mine sites
• Fully disclose information about social and environmental effects of projects
• Allow independent, third-party verification of the above.