Equinox Gold Corp. (TSX: EQX, NYSE American: EQX) (“Equinox Gold” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the publication of its 2024 Sustainability Report. Informed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) frameworks, the report provides a comprehensive overview of the Company’s performance and progress across key environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics, including safety, environmental stewardship, community engagement and ethical business practices. The report and detailed GRI and SASB data tables are available for review and download on Equinox Gold’s website at www.equinoxgold.com/responsible-mining.
Greg Smith, CEO of Equinox Gold, commented: “Responsible mining is foundational to how we operate at Equinox Gold. ESG principles are central to our culture, our business strategy, and the decisions we make each day. In 2024, we made meaningful progress on several fronts: improving our environmental performance, advancing water stewardship projects, increasing our social investments, and enhancing initiatives focused on ethical governance and transparency. We also expanded training, leadership and health and well-being programs for our workforce to ensure our team has the skills to work safely and thrive in their workplace. I am proud of our team’s dedication to each other and to upholding our responsible mining commitments.”
2024 ESG ACHIEVEMENTS
Environment
Improved our environmental performance by 31% compared to 2023, achieving a Significant Environmental Incident Frequency Rate of 0.20 per million hours worked
Demonstrated best practices in tailings and heap leach management, with zero tailings or heap leach-related environmental or safety incidents
Diverted 4,531 tonnes of hazardous and nonhazardous material from disposal
Rehabilitated 38.5 hectares of land and planted more than 32,395 seedlings
Advanced several water stewardship initiatives, including implementation of dry stack tailings and maintenance of a freshwater reservoir at our RDM Mine to serve both the mine and local communities
Social
Celebrated eight years without a lost-time injury (“LTI”) at Mesquite and recorded zero LTIs at Greenstone and Castle Mountain in 2024, with a Company-wide LTI frequency rate of 0.49 per million hours worked (target 0.61)
Achieved a Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate of 2.21 per million hours worked (target: 3.00)
Increased social investments to US$10.1 million, focusing primarily on healthcare and education
Invested in our communities, with 96% of total procurement spend remaining within host countries and 16% directed to local suppliers (up from 14% in 2023)
Invested in our people, with continuation of our Leadership Academy in Brazil and launch of our new Emerging Leader Program in North America
Organized the Ride to Greenstone cycling relay from Vancouver, BC to Geraldton, ON, celebrating the opening of our new Greenstone Mine and raising C$1.24 million for the Geraldton District Hospital and over C$200,000 for local charities at our United States and Brazil mines
Governance
Upheld human rights across our organization, including human rights risk assessments, workforce ethics training and publishing our first Modern Slavery Report
Achieved 100% acknowledgment of Equinox Gold’s Supplier Code of Conduct from over 4,000 active suppliers
Tied 8% of executive incentive compensation to ESG metrics
Formalized a Company-wide Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy underpinned by four pillars: inclusive leadership, inclusive culture, workforce diversity and equity in practice, all committed to a merit-based workplace grounded in fairness and equity to empower our diverse workforce and drive innovation
2025 ESG PRIORITIES
Continue to improve our health and safety and environmental performance
Implement the objectives detailed in our Human Resources and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategic roadmaps
Complete external assurance of the World Gold Council’s Responsible Gold Mining Principles at two sites
Complete training on Equinox Gold’s Social Management Standards at all sites
Implement a new Enterprise Risk Management system to improve risk management efficiency, data accessibility and reporting
More information about Equinox Gold’s 2024 performance, 2025 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 Contact
Ryan King
Senior Vice President, Capital Markets and Strategy
T: +1 778.998.3700
E: Ryan.King@equinoxgold.com
E: ir@equinoxgold.com