Canada-based Eldorado Gold reports that its Lamaque Complex, in Val-d’Or, Quebec, has received the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) Gold Leadership Award from the Mining Association of Canada (MAC), marking the first time the accolade has been presented since 2020.

The award recognises mining operations that achieve Level AAA – the highest possible rating – across all applicable TSM performance indicators, as verified by independent external auditors. Lamaque achieved Level AAA across its applicable indicators, placing it among only six facilities to have received the recognition to date.

CEO George Burns said the award reflected the company’s commitment to responsible mining practices in Quebec and across its global portfolio. He noted that TSM protocols are applied company-wide under Eldorado’s Sustainability Integrated Management System.

Sylvain Lehoux, VP Canada, described the recognition as the culmination of a multi-year effort that began during the early stages of the Lamaque mine’s development, crediting employees and local partners for embedding strong environmental, safety and community engagement practices into daily operations.

TSM performance is externally verified on a three-year cycle and assessed against a broad range of environmental and social indicators, including climate change, water stewardship, tailings management, biodiversity conservation, Indigenous and community relationships, crisis management, and occupational health and safety. Application of TSM protocols is mandatory for Mining Association of Canada members and Eldorado has adopted the framework across all of its operations, including those outside Canada.

MAC CEO Pierre Gratton said the Gold Leadership Award represents exemplary environmental and social performance within the industry, underscoring the importance of producing critical minerals and metals to globally recognised standards.

In addition to the TSM recognition, the International Cyanide Management Institute recently certified the Lamaque Complex as being in full compliance with the International Cyanide Management Code, a voluntary programme governing the safe and environmentally responsible management of cyanide used in gold and silver production.