Equinox Gold Publishes 2022 ESG Report
Equinox Gold Publishes 2022 ESG Report
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 3, 2023) -
Equinox Gold Corp.
(TSX: EQX)
(NYSE American: EQX) ("Equinox Gold" or the "Company") has published its 2022 Environmental,
Social and Governance ("ESG") Report. The 2022 ESG Report and data tables summarizing the
Company's performance against relevant Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting
Standards Board (SASB) metrics are available for review and download on Equinox Gold's website at
www.EquinoxGold.com
.
Greg Smith, President & CEO of Equinox Gold, commented: "Equinox Gold's 2022 ESG Report
summarizes our responsible mining commitments and management approach to key ESG issues. We
also published our inaugural Climate Action Report in February and expect to publish our first Water
Stewardship Report later this year. We have worked over the last five years to ensure responsible
mining principles are incorporated into the foundation of our business strategy. We are seeing positive
results from those efforts, achieving all our ESG objectives during 2022, and will continue to build on that
performance going forward."
2022 ESG Highlights
Environment
Improved our environmental performance by 7% compared to 2021, with no major incidents and a
Significant Environmental Incident Frequency Rate of 0.63 per million hours worked
Reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 10% compared to 2021
Set a target to achieve a 25% reduction in our GHG emissions by 2030 compared to our
"business-as-usual" forecast were no intervention measures taken
Published our first Climate Action Report using the Task Force on Climate-related Financial
Disclosures framework
Updated our Tailings Management Overview Report and published data for the second time to
CDP
Entered into renewable energy wind and solar power contracts for select Brazil operations
Used 58% recycled water at our operations
Reclaimed 145 hectares of land
Planted 18,966 trees in reforestation projects around our sites
Social
Improved our health and safety performance by 30% compared to 2021, with no fatalities and a
Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate of 2.12 per million hours worked
Had no lost-time incidents during the fourth quarter, and six of eight sites had no lost-time injuries
during 2022
Provided 203,000 hours of training to our employees, of which more than 36% was on health and
safety topics
Invested US$8.7 million to support community initiatives
Launched an employee share purchase plan in which 75% of eligible employees participate
Governance
Achieved Level A ratings in at least 75% of Towards Sustainable Mining protocols at all mine sites
Developed Social Management Standards and Human Rights Management Standards
Completed the United Nations Global Compact Target Gender Equality Program
Completed Code of Ethics training for our entire workforce
2023 ESG Priorities
Continue to improve our health and safety and environmental performance
Implement our Social Management Standards, Human Rights Management Standards and
Environmental Management Standards across all sites
Develop a water stewardship strategy and publish our first Water Management Report
Update our Tailings Management Overview Report and publish data to CDP
Develop a Diversity and Inclusion Strategy based on international best practices
Achieve Level A ratings in 100% of Towards Sustainable Mining protocols
More information about Equinox Gold's 2022 performance, 2023 targets and commitments to
responsible mining is available in the reports and other disclosure on our website at
www.equinoxgold.com/responsible-mining
.
Equinox Gold Contacts
Greg Smith, President & Chief Executive Officer
Rhylin Bailie, Vice President, Investor Relations
Tel: +1 604-558-0560
Email:
Cautionary Notes
This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within
the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking
information in this news release relate to, among other things: the strategic vision for the Company
and expectations regarding exploration potential, production capabilities and future financial or
operational performance; the Company's expectations for achieving its responsible mining
objectives; and the Company's expectations for reducing its GHG emissions and the impact of its
operations on climate change, including reaching its GHG emissions reduction target. Forward-
looking statements or information generally identified by words such as "target", "will", "ensure",
"continue", "develop", "commit", "achieve" and similar expressions and phrases or statements that
certain actions, events or results "may", "could", or "should", or the negative connotation of such
terms, are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Although the Company
believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and information are
reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since the Company
can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Company has based these
forward-looking statements and information on the Company's current expectations and projections
about future events and these assumptions include: Equinox Gold's ability to achieve the exploration,
production, cost and development expectations for its respective operations and projects; the
Company's ability to achieve its objective of becoming an industry leader for responsible mining and
sustainable development;
the availability of funds for the Company's projects and future cash
requirements; and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and
other regulatory requirements. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable
based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Accordingly, readers are
cautioned not to put undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained in this
news release. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements and information involve known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information
contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or
related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: fluctuations in gold prices;
fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services; fluctuations in
currency markets; operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mining (including
environmental accidents and hazards, industrial accidents, equipment breakdown, unusual or
unexpected geological or structural formations, cave-ins, flooding and severe weather); inadequate
insurance, or inability to obtain insurance to cover these risks and hazards; employee relations;
relationships with, and claims by, local communities and Indigenous populations; the Company's
ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner or at all;
changes in laws, regulations and government practices, including environmental, export and import
laws and regulations; legal restrictions relating to mining; risks relating to expropriation; increased
competition in the mining industry; and those factors identified in the section titled "Risks and
Uncertainties" in the Company's MD&A dated February 21, 2023 for the year ended December 31,
2022, and in the section titled "Risks Related to the Business" in the Company's most recently filed
Annual Information Form, both of which are available on SEDAR at
www.sedar.com
and on EDGAR at
www.sec.gov/edgar
. Forward-looking statements and information are designed to help readers
understand management's views as of that time with respect to future events and speak only as of the
date they are made. Except as required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to
update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement or
information contained or incorporated by reference to reflect actual results, future events or
developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking
statements and information. If the Company updates any one or more forward-looking statements, no
inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect to those or
other forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements and information contained in this
news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit
https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164686