The latest global conference on mercury ended with a partial victory but a glaring omission. At the sixth Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention in Geneva, delegates agreed to phase out mercury in dental fillings by 2034. Yet, the summit’s failure to address mercury gold mining — the world’s largest source of mercury pollution — drew strong criticism from environmental and Indigenous groups across Latin America and beyond.
The Unchecked Rise of Mercury Gold Mining
The Minamata Convention, established in 2013 to reduce mercury emissions, has made incremental progress in regulating industrial uses. However, mercury gold mining continues to account for over 35% of total global mercury emissions. According to the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), more than 800 tons of mercury enter the environment annually from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), especially in the Amazon, West Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Illegal mercury imports — over 200 metric tons between 2019 and mid-2025 — have been traced from Mexico into Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia, fueling the mercury gold mining trade. Despite treaty commitments, these flows remain largely unmonitored.
For mining companies, this oversight represents both regulatory and reputational risks. As markets increasingly demand clean, traceable metals, mercury-contaminated gold supply chains may soon become financially unsustainable.
Amazon Basin: The Global Epicenter of Mercury Gold Mining
Across the Amazon Basin, mercury gold mining has become synonymous with environmental degradation. Data published in Nature Sustainability shows mining-related deforestation across the Amazon surged from 149,000 hectares in 2017 to 263,000 hectares in 2022 — much of it linked to unregulated gold extraction. Mercury used to bind fine gold particles leaches into rivers, contaminating ecosystems that sustain millions.
Indigenous communities, including Brazil’s Munduruku and Colombia’s Embera, have reported severe contamination of fish and water sources. A 2024 IPEN study revealed mercury levels in Indigenous women several times above WHO’s safe threshold, confirming long-term neurological and developmental risks.
Yet, in Geneva, discussions on mercury gold mining were limited to promoting transparency in gold trade and encouraging mercury-free technologies — measures activists derided as “token gestures” that ignore the crisis’ scale.
Treaty Progress Undercut by Inaction
While phasing out dental mercury was hailed as a public health win, the summit’s inaction on mercury gold mining left environmental groups frustrated. Lee Bell, IPEN policy adviser, warned: “Small adjustments were made to minor issues while delegates failed to confront the mercury pollution crisis in the Amazon.”
The U.N. Special Rapporteur on Toxics, Marcos Orellana, echoed the sentiment, stressing that loopholes in the Minamata Convention allow the mercury trade to flourish. He noted that artisanal gold mining operations — often tied to organized crime — remain untouched by international enforcement.
For mining professionals, the lack of regulation portends growing exposure. Nations may face trade restrictions or sanctions as global scrutiny over mercury-contaminated gold intensifies, especially from European and North American markets that emphasize clean sourcing.
Implications for Mining Companies and Regulators
- Regulatory Pressure – Regional governments may adopt stricter bans on mercury imports or impose traceability obligations on all gold exports.
- ESG and Supply Chain Risk – Investors increasingly demand verification that no mercury gold mining inputs enter formal supply chains.
- Operational Costs – Transitioning to mercury-free processing methods could raise costs for artisanal miners but benefit compliant operators in the long run.
- Reputational Impact – Public perception of “dirty gold” threatens both artisanal miners and downstream brands relying on ethically sourced metal.
Skillings Analysis
- The Minamata Convention’s silence on mercury gold mining reveals a critical regulatory gap that will soon attract investor and public scrutiny.
- Mining firms sourcing from Latin America or West Africa should conduct immediate due diligence on supply chains to identify mercury exposure risk.
- With gold prices near record highs, informal mining will likely expand further, intensifying environmental and compliance challenges by mid-2026.
What Lies Ahead
In the next conference cycle, expect pressure to mount for a total ban on mercury use in gold mining. Governments in Brazil, Peru, and Indonesia are already drafting action plans under UN supervision. For formal mining companies, this could bring new opportunities in mercury-free gold certification — or penalties for non-compliance.
As activists warn, unless the global community confronts mercury gold mining directly, the Amazon — and the credibility of the Minamata Convention itself — will remain under a toxic cloud.
