The Earthbeat Solutions Foundation was founded in 2013 with the aim of creating a future-oriented, sustainable and environmentally friendly use of gold as a raw material.
And this for all stakeholders.
In doing so, we want to work holistically for a systematic change in the gold processing industry in order to demonstrate solutions that build bridges.
Only together can we create the change that is needed to lead such a complex sector into a responsible future.
Our vision is to combine the extraction of raw materials for the gold industry in harmony with nature and humanity and to create solutions for a stable future.
In the long term, this will only be feasible if we invest in innovative solutions that make it possible to return the available gold to the cycle again and again. Urban mining can be an answer to the demand for gold.
However, we can only create a responsible approach if we think about the global south and all the challenges it faces.
Creating alternative and sustainable sources of income for regions that are dependent on small-scale gold mining is therefore our focus.
Gold has always fascinated people. There are not only many myths and dazzling stories surrounding the enduring raw material. The raw material is an integral part of our lives. Gold is not only used in the jewellery industry, but also for the production of electronic and medical devices and for the financial sector. We all have daily contact with this resource. Be it through the jewellery we wear, the mobile phone, tablet or computer we use, or the financial system that automatically underlies much of it.
Gold mining is a highly damaging process – for the environment but also for the miners.
Generally, a distinction is made between industrial gold mining and small-scale gold mining.
The latter employs an estimated 25 to 30 million people worldwide. (Artisanal and small-scale gold mining = ASGM).
About 100 million people are indirectly part of the supply chain.
Only about 20% of the global gold demand comes from this type of mining, yet 80% of the people working in gold mining are employed in ASGM.
The challenges in this sector are immense. Human rights violations, illegal logging and child labour are just a few of the issues related to gold mining.
In addition, gold miners are constantly exposed to highly toxic chemicals such as mercury, which are used in gold mining. This not only has fatal consequences for people, but also has a harmful impact on the environment.
But there are ways to deal differently with the mining of this fascinating raw material.
Self-determination is the most important step in creating change. Therefore, it is our most important goal to accompany the people in the small-scale gold mining regions in building a self-determined life.
Creating alternative and sustainable income concepts in order to be able to build a self-determined life in the long term is the focus of our cooperation with the people in the small-scale gold mining regions. Together, we develop possibilities for the reuse of contaminated soils.
The processes towards alternative income concepts are supported by educational initiatives that focus primarily on the topics of entrepreneurship development, finance, diversification and responsible use of household income.
The aim is to enable as many small-scale gold mining regions as possible to make the transition to a sustainable and self-determined future independent of gold mining. To this end, many valuable impulses can be passed on through best practice methods and exchange.
The Earthbeat Solutions Foundation contributes with its projects to 11 of 17 UN Sustainable Developmentgoals.
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