NYSE- and TSX-listed Barrick Mining Corporation invested more than $48-million in community-led projects in 2024 through its community development committees (CDCs), the company said in its 2024 sustainability report.

CDCs have been established at all Barrick sites and are made up of community-elected local leaders, women, youth and group representatives from agriculture to historically disadvantaged groups.

The CDCs are responsible for selecting sustainable development-related projects, including educational and health facilities, youth clubs, agriculture cooperatives and support to entrepreneurs, in their respective areas.

The company published its 2024 sustainability report on August 4, highlighting key achievements in sustainability across the company’s global operations. In conjunction with the release of the report, Barrick also hosted a sustainability update webinar, which allowed for more direct engagement with stakeholders focused on sustainability performance and priorities.

Barrick further reported that 97% of its nearly 27 000-strong workforce were host country nationals and that it intended on investing further to upskill these workers.

“Making local hiring a priority is good for our host nations, as it directly supports the economic development of local communities and builds each country’s capacity to compete in the global mining sector. It is also good for our business. It provides our mines with a stable, motivated and talented workforce, and it fosters trust and strong community relations,” the company said.

Barrick also said it prioritised the use of local and host country suppliers in its procurement. In 2024, the company spent more than $7.1-billion on goods and services, such as catering, clothing, haulage and housing, from businesses in host countries.

This included $2.35-billion that was spent at suppliers from the communities closest to and in the regions of its operations.

Meanwhile, the company’s environmental sustainability efforts in 2024 involved piloting electric trucks and lightweight equipment, as well as commissioning a 200 MW solar plant at its Nevada Gold Mines project in the US.

The company also received permitting for a 150 MW solar plant at its Reko Diq project, in Pakistan.

Since 2019, Barrick has driven the installation of 687 MW of renewable and cleaner energy sources, with many projects supplying remote communities in addition to its mines.

The company also said it was expanding its Scope 3 greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions tracking, working with suppliers to improve data quality and reporting accuracy and to influence global climate action throughout its value chain.

Barrick’s sustainability priorities include comprehensive reporting against the UN Sustainable Development Goals, maintaining its efforts to sustain workplace safety, and proactive forecasting and management of GHG emissions.

“Our sustainability strategy isn't just a framework. It's how we create lasting, responsible impact. Mining done right is a powerful force for development. When our host communities succeed, we succeed too,” Barrick president and CE Mark Bristow said.

The company also announced the publication of a standalone summary sustainability report, designed to provide its stakeholders with a more accessible overview of the company’s sustainability performance and impact.

“While the 2024 sustainability report is comprehensive and we recognise the importance of a range of disclosures, the reporting landscape has evolved such that these reports continue to grow to meet various expectations.

“Our new summary report provides an open and digestible account of how we operate at all sites – from Africa to the Americas, Papua New Guinea to Peru – to share the benefits of mining, keep workers safe, protect the natural environment and deliver tangible, lasting social and economic value,” Bristow said.

The summary report focuses on measurable impact and encompasses Barrick’s sustainability performance over the six years since the merger that formed today’s Barrick.