BELLEVUE BECOMES THE WORLD’S FIRST NET ZERO GOLD MINE
From the outset, Bellevue Gold set ambitious targets to achieve net zero (Scope 1 and Scope 2) greenhouse gas emissions by 2026.
In fact, the Bellevue Gold team has already surpassed this, achieving their goal early. Bellevue Gold is the first gold mine in the world to achieve net zero (Scope 1 and Scope 2) emissions. Using a combination of onsite renewable energy and emission reduction measures, supported by high-quality certified carbon offsets, Bellevue Gold reached net zero in 2025, with emissions expected to further reduce by the end of the year.
The installation of an off-grid hybrid power station driven by sustainable sources – including 24MW of wind and 27 MW of solar capacity – has enabled the site to run on 100% renewable energy for over four days (>100 hours) of ‘engines off’ which is a record for any mine in Australia and likely any major off-grid power station – hence showing the ambition of Bellevue Gold to renewable energy and emission reduction. The mine site is also forecast to be Australia’s most renewably powered, and they have already achieving running the mine site on >90% renewable energy across an entire month.
“Bellevue is pioneering, simply because we’re the first company to do this. No one has thought to put out a net zero gold product before, and we’ve put our money where our mouth is in terms of building a modern operation, changing our mining practices to reduce carbon emissions, and putting in an industry-leading renewable energy power station.”
Darren Stralow, Managing Director & CEO of Bellevue Gold
Setting new standards for renewable energy use in gold mining, smelting and refining is crucial, as over 95% of gold’s greenhouse gas emissions come from mining.
The impact of climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions is already being felt across the world and scientists warn that if we don’t act now, the consequences could be irreversible.
As EU legislation closes in on companies importing products with a high carbon footprint, jewellers choosing to source gold from mines with net zero emissions could significantly reduce the footprint of their own collections.
Additionally, the use of renewable energy means a move away from the mining sector’s reliance on diesel. Diesel exhausts contain over 40 different toxic pollutants, which can contribute to health issues in mine workers.
Gold supply chains are typically opaque, with many jewellers lacking visibility of provenance beyond their tier-one supplier or, at best, the refiner.
Bellevue Gold’s partnership with SMO now provides jewellers with a fully traceable source of net zero gold.
“Their willingness to be transparent and their goal of achieving net zero by the end of 2025 [attracted me to the Bellevue Gold mine]. They are part of the SMO Gold community which provides me with the assurances required on responsibility, traceability and transparency - a great achievement when it comes to gold. Bellevue is pioneering in its net zero mission and with Messika using their gold, it places Messika at the forefront of ESG advances. This makes me proud.”
Valerie Messika, Founder and Creative Director of Messika Jewellery, which is currently transitioning its production to SMO Gold.
To date, the jewellery industry has largely relied on promoting recycled gold as the lowest emission option for the precious metal.
Whilst metal from post-consumer sources can have around a 90% lower emission footprint than a newly mined alternative, the term ‘recycled’ is frequently applied to any gold that has been refined more than once.
This includes scrap, unsold stock and even investment bars - often recently mined and never used by consumers. Therefore, unless the origin of recycled materials can be verified as a post-consumer source, such as electronics or eWaste, then these carbon reduction claims cannot be substantiated – especially as the source emissions from the initial mining process cannot be accounted for, due to the lack of supply chain traceability.
Alongside its decarbonisation focus, Bellevue Gold is incorporating other stringent ESG measures, such as an Environmental Management System, which conducts comprehensive studies in local flora, fauna and water to maintain biodiversity and minimise the mine’s ecological footprint.
Recycling and waste reduction strategies will tackle both current and legacy waste issues, with results published online in an annual Sustainability Report.
In line with its progressive core values, Bellevue Gold also promotes a workplace culture emphasising diversity and inclusion – indeed, assessment through the SMO ESG Benchmark tool shows it already has the highest gender diversity amongst its employees of any major global gold mine (with publicly disclosed data).
Bellevue Gold is always interested in how their sustainability metrics compare to their peer group and are competitive by nature. Bellevue Gold is leading the way on gender diversity, with their recent figure of 31.2% female workforce being assessed as the most gender diverse major gold mine in the world.
Bellevue Gold may be known for being Australia’s most renewable powered mine and the world’s first net zero gold mine – but they are also the most gender diverse gold mine in the world. And now, by working with its refinery and SMO, this gold from Bellevue Gold is also traceable and available to the ethical buyers of gold who are seeking to align their gold investments with their personal values.
"We believe that Bellevue Gold is absolutely world-leading in its decarbonisation of gold mining and this is providing an incredibly exciting new source of gold”
Charlie Betts, Co-Founder of SMO Gold
As a member of the SMO Gold initiative, the Bellevue Gold Project is blazing a trail as world’s first net zero (Scope 1 and Scope 2) emission gold mine and the world’s most gender diverse gold mine. This revolutionary first heralds a new era for fully traceable, responsibly sourced gold and a positive change for jewellery designers and consumers everywhere.
