London, United Kingdom, 8 July 2021 – Nord Gold plc ("Nordgold" or the "Company"), the internationally diversified gold producer, announces that as part of its on-going commitment to strengthening the Company’s overall ESG performance and in line with its Biodiversity Statement, it has appointed the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (the “Institute”) to conduct a programme of biodiversity monitoring in the Gross Region, in the southwest of the Russian Federation’s Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
The programme will begin with a field survey in the region, where Nordgold currently operates two mines (Gross and Taborny) and a development project (Tokko), followed by a desk-based analysis of field observation results. The report should be complete by the end of the year and will include:
The report will also then set out a series of recommendations to reduce the environmental impact of the operations on local biodiversity.
It is anticipated that this project, along with information gathered during environmental impact assessment, will lay the foundation for a Biodiversity Management Plan and a long term biodiversity conservation project in the region. Nordgold expects to publishing the results of its analysis in the form of a “biodiversity map” which will provide an overview of the area under licence and beyond, a summary of the flora and fauna environment and identification of any rare species, and an outline of the work to help maintain them.
“Biodiversity is a core pillar of our broader ESG strategy. This project will help foster greater engagement with local communities, and we hope will serve as a model for greater industry collaboration as to how we can do even more to protect the environments in which we operate. Our ultimate aim is that through greater research and biodiversity programmes we will enhance the biodiversity status of these areas.” Evgeny TulubenskyChief Legal Officer and Director of ESG
The Gross Region biodiversity monitoring project is one of a number of initiatives launched by Nordgold in Russia, that includes a series of other environmental programmes, not least Nordgold’s long standing sponsorship of the Snow Leopard foundation which seeks to safeguard the population of these rare and beautiful predators. For example, the Gross and Taborny mines support the annual release of over 400,000 juvenile fish to lakes and rivers of Yakutia as the repopulation of fish has a significant benefit to the health of the local water systems.
The Gross mine has also launched a large scale reforestation programme in Yakutia with over 200 hectares to be covered in 2021-2022.
Nordgold does not operate in protected areas of natural reserves.
Nordgold
Olga Ulyeva
Head of Corporate Communications
olga.ulyeva@nordgold.com
Powerscourt
Peter Ogden
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7250 1446
Nordgold is an internationally diversified one million ounce gold producer with about 7,800 people operating a portfolio of nine mines (in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Russia and Kazakhstan) and a number of development and exploration projects in West Africa, Eurasia and the Americas. Since its foundation in 2007, Nordgold has established a global reputation as a leading developer of tier one gold mining assets with a proven commitment to community engagement, sustainability, efficiency and operating in an environmentally responsible manner. Since 2013, Nordgold has successfully constructed three gold mines, including two in Burkina Faso (Bouly and Bissa) and most recently, the Gross mine in Russia.
