Modern Mining January 2022

Significant progress in Cora Gold’s ESG activities in Mali

Cora Gold Limited, the West African focused gold company, has achieved significant progress in its environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts in Mali, including the appointment of dedi- cated ESG personnel, as its Sanankoro Gold Project moves towards the completion of a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS). Cora remains committed to operating in ways that engage positively with local communities and minimise its impact on the environment. Accordingly, Cora is actively involved in programmes focused on alternative livelihoods, healthcare, and education within the vicinity of its operations. Having recently visited the community gardens of Sanankoro, Dako and Faragouagnia, as well as the village savings and credit association and saponification group at Bokoro, the company has noted significant progress. A new water well, financed by Cora, has been completed at the Dako community village garden, while at the village of Sanankoro, okra seeds have been planted, a donation was made to the health centre and a solar power kit and battery have been given to the community. At Faragouagnia, where Cora previously donated market garden equipment, the local community have begun to harvest onions. Furthermore, the village’s saving and credit association, which provides local people with funds to invest during the rainy season, is growing from strength to strength since its foundation by Cora. A general assembly has been held at the Sanankoro camp to address questions about potential future developments at Sanankoro from the surrounding communities was very success- ful. This was attended by representatives from Cora, Kangaba, Maramandougou, Séléfougou, Digby Wells, DNGM – Direction Nationale de la Géologie et des Mines, DNACPN – Direction Nationale de l’Assainissement et du Controle des Pollutions et des Nuisances, the civil society and permit communities. To coordinate its ESG commitments going forward, Cora has appointed Djibril Sanogo as ESG manager. Djibril has over 15 years’ experience overseeing environmental and community manage- ment for mining companies in Mali and advised several large gold mining companies in this regard including AngloGold Ashanti and Resolute Mining. At Somisy, which owns the Syama Gold Mine in Mali (80% owned by Resolute Mining), he was senior environmental coordi- nator from 2017 to 2020 responsible for managing environmental issues, including rehabilitation, biodiversity, water control, and vegetation control programmes and developing/reviewing envi- ronmental procedures. Most recently, Djibril was Health, Safety, Environment and Quality and Community manager at Carrières et Chaux du Mali,

a Malian company specialising in the production and com- mercialisation of quicklime and agricultural lime, where he over- saw the integrated HSEQ and community management system, provided his expert support and advice to the Board of Directors on ESG issues, and implemented an HSEQ monitoring framework. To further advance Cora’s ESG strategy, Dr Pete Whitbread- Abrutat has been appointed as ESG advisor. Pete is a mining ESG and sustainability specialist with over 30 years’ experience in

Bert Monro, CEO of Cora Gold Limited.

the international mining industry. He has previously worked in the private sector, academia, civil society and with the United Nations. Pete is a proficient project reviewer and has particular expertise in addressing environmental, community and ESG issues associ- ated with the mining sector, having worked on many international development projects. He established Future Terrains in 2014, a social enterprise tackling the challenges of degraded lands by working to improve environmental and community practices and helping to restore damaged places. Pete holds a PhD in the re-vegetation of mine wastes, is a Chartered Environmentalist, a Churchill Fellow, and a certified IEMA Lead Environmental auditor. Bert Monro, CEO of Cora, comments: “The appointment of two ESG personnel to direct and uphold our ESG responsibilities is a big step forward for Cora and reflects our commitment to setting a benchmark for the responsible development of a gold mine at Sanankoro in the future. “I am delighted to welcome Djibril as our ESG manager. He comes with a wealth of experience having worked on operational gold mines in Mali throughout his career and will be a critical team member onsite at Sanankoro, overseeing all of our various initiatives and maintaining our positive relationships with the sur- rounding communities. Furthermore, the addition of Pete as ESG advisor, whose expertise in sustainability will offer a huge support to Cora as we move forward. “Cora is committed to maintaining a constructive relationships and engaging positively with the local communities surrounding its permit areas and continues to be actively involved in programmes to facilitate this. I am pleased to see programmes we have started over a number of years are progressing well and continue to ben- efit the respective villages.” 

January 2022  MODERN MINING  11