Fair Pay & Worker Respect
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As a large-scale mining operator, the company is inherently subject to significant labor risks and safety requirements, making Fair Pay & Worker Respect a critical operational metric rather than an inherent product-based harm or benefit. OceanaGold (OGC.TSX) demonstrates strong performance in worker engagement and retention, but its safety record is marred by recent fatalities. Regarding labor relations, the company reports significant collective bargaining coverage. At its Philippines operations (Didipio), 51% of employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) as of late 2023, and 48% are unionized.
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Globally, the company successfully completed CBA negotiations in 2023 without industrial downtime.
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Worker engagement is a notable strength. The 2024 Culture Survey reported an 80% engagement score, which exceeded the global mining and metals benchmark by 8%.
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This is supported by a reported 76% retention intent among staff.
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The voluntary turnover rate was specifically reported at 8% for the Didipio operations in 2025, which aligns with exceptional retention tiers.
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Safety performance is mixed. While the company achieved a 36% reduction in its Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) in 2025 and reported zero fatalities that year, the 2024 reporting period was severe, with two workplace fatalities recorded.
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The TRIFR has fluctuated, reported at 4.41 per million hours in 2023 and 1.8–1.9 in other periods.
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Due to the multiple fatalities in 2024, the safety score is penalized according to the rubric's focus on serious incidents.
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In terms of labor violations, the company reports zero legal actions or grievances involving forced or child labor and maintains a clean record regarding modern slavery and discrimination findings over the last two years.
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Data for CEO pay ratios, living wage coverage, and specific pay equity ratios were not provided in the evidence.
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Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing
0
As a mining company, OceanaGold is in scope for ethical sourcing due to the risks of human rights abuses in mineral supply chains and the need for transparency in raw material extraction. While the company operates its own mines, its core business requires rigorous due diligence to ensure that its supply chain and community engagement practices prevent forced labor and exploitation. OceanaGold (OGC) demonstrates a structured approach to ethical sourcing through established policies and reporting, though quantitative transparency varies across KPIs. For **forced_child_labour_incidents**, the company is scored at -10. Evidence shows the company strictly enforces a Supplier Code of Conduct and publishes annual Modern Slavery Statements (2020–2024) in compliance with Australian and Canadian law.
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No substantiated incidents of forced or child labor were reported in the provided evidence, and the company maintains a 24-hour whistleblower hotline to monitor compliance.
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Regarding **ethical_clause_coverage**, the company is tiered at 10. OGC released an updated Supplier Code of Conduct in December 2023 that applies to all suppliers, employees, contractors, and advisors.
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While the evidence confirms the code's universal application to the supplier base, it does not provide a specific percentage of active contracts that have transitioned to include these binding clauses with automated penalty triggers required for higher tiers.
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For **supplier_diversity_spend**, the company scores -40. OGC reported significant spending with local suppliers (over US$198 million in 2023 and US$193 million in 2024).
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While this demonstrates a formal policy for local community engagement and procurement, the evidence lacks a specific breakdown for indigenous or minority-owned businesses beyond general 'local' classification.
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The score reflects the presence of a formal policy and substantial local spend, but falls short of the higher tiers which require verified impact metrics or shared equity models. Other KPIs such as audit frequency and traceability coverage were omitted due to a lack of specific quantitative data in the provided articles, despite the company's conformance with the World Gold Council’s Responsible Gold Mining Principles (RGMPs).
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Honest & Fair Business
10
As a multinational mining company, OceanaGold's core business is neutral regarding inherent honesty; its score is determined by its behavioral track record in regulatory compliance, transparency, and reporting accuracy rather than the nature of gold extraction itself. OceanaGold (OGC) demonstrates a robust commitment to honest and fair business practices through high levels of board independence, comprehensive anti-corruption frameworks, and extensive third-party verification of its ethical claims. Governance & Independence: The Board of Directors is 87.5% independent (7 of 8 members), with an external Chair and 100% independent committees.
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This aligns with the tier for ~88% independent boards with external leadership.
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Ethics & Compliance: The company maintains a 24/7 anonymous whistleblower hotline available in multiple languages (English and Tagalog).
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Evidence shows a structured response system where reports are acknowledged within 3 days and findings communicated within 5 days of investigation closure, supporting a high tier for documented remedial processes.
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Anti-corruption policies were refreshed in 2024, including mandatory training and the appointment of 'champions' at each site, though specific effectiveness metrics are not fully detailed.
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Financial Integrity: There is no evidence of regulatory fines or financial restatements in the provided 3-year and 5-year windows.
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The company transitioned its auditor from PwC Australia to PwC Canada in 2025 due to a head office relocation, maintaining unqualified audit oversight.
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Transparency & Verification: OGC undergoes significant third-party verification, including annual independent assurance for the World Gold Council’s Responsible Gold Mining Principles (RGMPs), the Conflict-Free Gold Standard, and ISO 14001/45001 certifications.
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While it maintains a strong MSCI 'AA' rating, the ESG controversy score is tempered by ongoing legal challenges regarding the Didipio FTAA renewal and two workplace fatalities in 2024, which the company addressed through site-specific Safety Improvement Plans.
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Kind to Animals
-30
Large-scale gold and copper mining operations inherently involve significant land disturbance, habitat destruction, and fragmentation, which directly negatively impact local wildlife populations and ecosystems. OceanaGold’s impact on animals is primarily related to habitat disruption and wildlife management at its mining sites. Regarding wildlife_conservation_impact, the company is scored at -50. Evidence shows significant negative impacts, including the removal of 54.79 ha of indigenous vegetation
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and permits that allow for the killing of wildlife (including rare frogs and lizards) during construction at the Waihi North project
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. Environmental groups like Forest & Bird have appealed these approvals, citing "irreversible harm."
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Conversely, the company has documented mitigation and conservation efforts: the Deepdell North III Project includes a Lizard Management Plan and habitat restoration for birds and crayfish
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. The Reefton Restoration Project has planted 700,000 seedlings to provide habitat for the "nationally vulnerable" South Island Kaka
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. Additionally, the company is a corporate donor ($20,000+) to the South Carolina Wildlife Federation
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and targets "biodiversity net gain" at specific sites
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. This mix of documented habitat destruction and strategic conservation for specific species aligns with the -50 tier. For animal testing and husbandry KPIs (animal_testing_policy, animal_testing_volume, alt_testing_usage, humane_cert_ops_pct, and cage_free_source_pct), the company is scored at 0 (N/A)
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. As a gold and copper mining firm (ISIC 0729), OceanaGold does not engage in animal testing, pharmaceutical R&D, or animal agriculture
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. While one project mentions the temporary use of penned fowl for weed control in wetlands, this is a localized ecological management tool rather than a core business operation involving animal husbandry or sourcing
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No War, No Weapons
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Gold mining is a commodity extraction business that does not inherently involve the manufacturing of weapons or military contracting, placing it in a neutral position regarding the 'No War, No Weapons' value. OceanaGold Corporation (OGC) is a gold and copper mining company with no evidence of involvement in the defense industry, weapons manufacturing, or military contracts.
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For 'revenue_arms_contracts', 'dual_use_technology', 'sales_embargoed_regimes', 'board_oversight_defense', and 'ai_military_safeguards', a score of 0 is assigned as these are not applicable to its core business of mining gold bullion and copper concentrate.
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While gold has technical applications in aerospace, the company does not develop or sell dual-use products itself.
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Regarding 'ungp_alignment', the company explicitly states in its 2025 management circular and sustainability disclosures that it respects human rights in alignment with the United Nations Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights (UNGP) and publishes performance metrics in its annual sustainability reports (Tier 10).
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For 'zero_exposure_controversial_weapons', the company is a member of the World Gold Council and conforms to the Conflict-Free Gold Standard (CFGS), which is independently assured to ensure its gold does not fund armed conflict (Tier 10).
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For 'conflict_minerals_percentage', the company reports 100% conformance with the World Gold Council’s Conflict-Free Gold Standard across all directly controlled operations, supported by annual independent assurance reports (e.g., 2023 and 2025 Conflict-Free Gold Statements), which meets the criteria for Tier 30.
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While the company has faced historical human rights allegations in the Philippines and environmental violations in the US, these do not directly impact the 'No War, No Weapons' value as defined, which focuses on militarization and arms.
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Planet-Friendly Business
-50
As a gold mining company, OceanaGold's core business involves significant land disturbance, high energy consumption, and potential for water and soil contamination, which inherently conflicts with proactive environmental stewardship and ecosystem resilience. OceanaGold (OGC) demonstrates a structured approach to environmental stewardship with several established policies and reporting frameworks, though quantitative performance data is limited in the provided evidence. Regarding climate action, the company has set a net-zero target for 2050 (Tier -90)
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and committed to establishing interim milestone targets, though validation by SBTi is currently pending or not explicitly confirmed as completed (Tier -80).
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The company has fully adopted TCFD recommendations (Tier -60)
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and completed comprehensive portfolio-level climate scenario analyses, including transition and physical risk assessments (Tier -20).
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In terms of operational impact, OceanaGold maintains an exemplary compliance record, reporting zero material environmental incidents across 2023 and 2024 (Tier -50).
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The company also shows significant activity in land rehabilitation and biodiversity; in 2024, it rehabilitated over 100 hectares of land, which was 30% more than the area disturbed during the same period.
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Its Reefton Restoration Project is noted as an industry-leading mine closure initiative.
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These efforts protect approximately 5-8% of operational land with measurable outcomes (Tier -50). Water management is a key focus, with the company meeting 70% of its water needs through recycling or reuse.
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While specific Scope 1 and 2 data was provided for the Philippines subsidiary (Didipio Mine), company-wide totals for Scope 1-3 emissions and specific renewable energy percentages were not available in the aggregate evidence to support tiering for those KPIs.
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Respect for Cultures & Communities
-40
As a gold mining company, OceanaGold's operations inherently involve significant land use and potential disruption to local and indigenous communities. The company has faced documented community opposition, legal challenges, and protests regarding its Didipio mine in the Philippines and its operations in New Zealand, reflecting the high-risk nature of extractive industries regarding land rights and community impact. OceanaGold’s operations, particularly at the Didipio mine in the Philippines, show significant evidence of community harm and conflict. UN Special Rapporteurs and experts (2020) have documented systemic failures regarding Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), noting that the mine continued operations on traditional lands despite an expired permit and explicit lack of consent from indigenous and local communities.
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This led to a sustained community blockade starting in June 2019.
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In April 2020, approximately 100 police officers forcibly dispersed around 30 indigenous defenders, resulting in injuries and the arrest of a community leader, an action the UN characterized as 'unnecessary and disproportionate.'
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Regarding displacement, the company was investigated by the Philippine Human Rights Commission for the 2008 demolition of 187 houses without a court order.
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Water rights are also a point of contention; the mine's tailings ponds are slated to submerge 64 hectares of productive farmland, posing risks to the Addalam River watershed.
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Conversely, the company demonstrates positive performance in other jurisdictions and through corporate reporting. In 2024, OceanaGold reported spending US$193 million with local suppliers and paying US$125 million in taxes and royalties to host governments.
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In New Zealand, the company documented approximately 250 facilitated engagements with Māori (Iwi) groups for the Waihi North Project, suggesting a more consistent application of engagement protocols in that region compared to the Philippines.
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The company also maintains an MSCI 'AA' rating and adheres to the Responsible Gold Mining Principles (RGMP).
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Zero Waste & Sustainable Products
-50
Gold mining is an inherently extractive industry that generates massive amounts of waste rock and tailings, which are difficult to manage sustainably and represent a linear, non-circular resource model. OceanaGold (OGC) demonstrates a structured approach to waste management within its mining operations, though many consumer-centric KPIs (like packaging or product recyclability) are not applicable to its primary output of gold bullion. Regarding waste disposal violations, the company reported zero material environmental incidents for the 2023 and 2024 reporting periods, supporting a tier of -40 for exemplary compliance over a multi-year period.
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Its waste audit frequency is tiered at -50 as the company maintains an Integrated Management System (IMS) that is independently audited annually for all major facilities to ensure alignment with ISO 14001:2015 standards.
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Hazardous waste management is tiered at -60; the company reports active management of hazardous materials through third-party contractors and adheres to extensive legal frameworks governing hazardous substances.
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Waste reduction initiatives also score -60, evidenced by specific projects such as the Didipio Mine’s paste backfill plant (which reduces tailings storage requirements) and the Reefton Restoration Project, an industry-leading mine closure and rehabilitation effort.
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Supplier waste requirements are tiered at -70, as the company has developed and implemented a Supplier Code of Conduct for its key suppliers, though specific quantitative waste reduction mandates for the entire supply chain were not detailed.
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Additionally, the company demonstrated significant resource recovery in other areas, meeting 70% of its company-wide water needs through reused or recycled water in 2024.
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