Reporting
NOVAGOLD is currently updating the 2021 sustainability data on its website. Please view the Interactive version of NOVAGOLD’s 2021 Sustainability report here
2021 Sustainability Reporting Data Sheet
NOVAGOLD is focused on precious metals and the development of its Donlin Gold project in Alaska, owned in equal partnership with the second-largest global gold producer: Barrick Gold Corporation. The project is at the development level and permitting stage. No construction decision has been made. Donlin Gold LLC is a committed partner with the Alaska Native communities both surrounding the project and within the state as a whole. An important factor that distinguishes the Donlin Gold project from most other mining assets in Alaska is that the project is located on private land that was designated for mining activities five decades ago.
2020 Sustainability Reporting Data Sheet
NOVAGOLD believes it is appropriate to increase transparency, accountability, and enhance the suite of ESG metrics the company discloses to stakeholders. We’re committed to providing stage-appropriate and relevant information, to all stakeholders, about ESG performance in alignment with the Donlin Gold project partner Barrick Gold Corporation. NOVAGOLD is working with Barrick to implement international best practice and industry standards at the Donlin Gold project and plans to expand disclosure as the project eventually moves toward construction and into operation. We are strong proponents of ongoing engagement and consultation with stakeholders through the entire development process.
All reporting data listed below is based on NOVAGOLD’s 2020 fiscal year.
Environment
The environmental results below are reported for the Donlin Gold project only on a 100% basis. Any measurements relevant to NOVAGOLD are noted in the comments column below. Additional details on environmental practices can be found on the Donlin Gold website: https://donlingold.com/
Production Statistics
| Item | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Ounces of Gold Produced (Poured Ounces) | 0 | Not Applicable - All of these are not appliable because the Donlin Gold project is not yet in operation. |
| Ore mined - Open Pit | 0 | Not Applicable |
| Waste Rock Mined - Open Pit | 0 | Not Applicable |
| Total Ore Processed | 0 | Not Applicable |
| Cyanide Used | 0 | Not Applicable |
| Waste Rock Backfilled - Surface | 0 | Not Applicable |
| Tailings Produced | 0 | Not Applicable |
| Waste That is Geochemically Reactive | 0 | Not Applicable |
Environmental Incidents
| Item | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Class I - High | 0 | Immediately reportable to government agencies or impacts beyond site boundary or to surface or ground water, or wildlife mortality of a protected species. |
| Class II - Medium | 0 | Reportable, but not immediately, to government agencies, within site boundary, no impacts to surface or ground water; or multiple wildlife mortalities of non-protected species. |
| Class III - Low | 0 | Not reportable to government agencies, minimal impact within site boundary, and no more than one wildlife mortality. |
| How Many Environmental Incidents Were Reported to The Authority? | 0 |
Non-Compliances
| Item | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Air | 1 | Non-compliance not related to any emissions but to a late report. |
| Water | 0 | |
| Waste | 0 | |
| Land | 0 | |
| Wildlife | 0 | |
| Other | 0 |
Environmental Related Fines
| Item | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Fines Levied | 0 | |
| Value of Environmental- Related Fines | 0 |
Spills
| Item | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Spills | 26 | None reportable to agencies, none to water, all less than 10 gallons to land. |
| Volume of Oil Spills - Liters | 52 | None reportable to agencies, none to water, all less than 10 gallons to land. |
| Volume of Fuel Spills - Liters | 17 | None reportable to agencies, none to water, all less than 10 gallons to land. |
| Volume of Waste Spills - Liters | 0 | |
| Volume of Chemical Spills - Liters | 1 | None reportable to agencies, none to water, all less than 10 gallons to land. |
| Volume of Other Spills - Liters | 0 |
Closure and Rehab
| Item | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Total Land Disturbed and Not Yet Rehabilitated At Start of Reporting Period - Hectares | 0 | All land disturbance is associated with limited exploration level activities, no on-site mine waste or water management facilities. |
| Total Amount of Land Newly Disturbed Within Reporting Period - Hectares | 1 | |
| Total Amount of Land Newly Rehabilitated Within Reporting Period - Hectares | 1 | |
| Total Rehab Planned For The Year (Hectares) | 1 |
Waste
| Item | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Hazardous Waste Produced - Tonnes | 0 | |
| Non-hazardous Waste Produced - Tonnes | 7 | 14,067 lbs |
| Hazardous Waste Recycled - Tonnes | 0 | |
| Non-Hazardous Waste Recycled - Tonnes | 0 | 907 lbs - rounded down to 0 tonnes |
| Total Reused - Tonnes | Not tracked | |
| Total Waste to Landfill - Tonnes | 77 | 154,800 lbs |
| Total Waste Incinerated - Tonnes | Not tracked | |
| Mercury produced as a By-Product/Co-Product - Tonnes | 0 | No production or processing at Donlin Gold |
Emissions
| Item | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| NOx - Stationary Sources - Tonnes | 0 | De minimus, small camp with no production at the Donlin Gold project |
| Number of Regulatory Exceedances | 0 | De minimus, small camp with no production at the Donlin Gold project |
| SOx - Stationary Sources - Tonnes | 0 | De minimus, small camp with no production at the Donlin Gold project |
| Number of Regulatory Exceedances | 0 | De minimus, small camp with no production at the Donlin Gold project |
| Particulate Matter _PM 10 - μg/m3 | 0 | De minimus, small camp with no production at the Donlin Gold project |
| Mercury Air Emissions - Tonnes | 0 | No production or processing at Donlin Gold |
| Number of Regulatory Exceedances | 0 | |
| Other Air Emissions as Regulated (Tonnes): | 0 |
Water Use
| Item | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Surface Water - Cubic Metters | 0 | |
| Groundwater - Cubic Meters | 697 | All returned to ground after treatment |
| Total Withdrawals - Cubic Meters | 697 | All returned to ground after treatment |
Energy Inputs / GHG Emissions
| Item | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - From Outside Sources - KwH | 0 | All on-site power generation |
| Electricity - Self-Generated - KwH | 586,151 | |
| Diesel Used for Power Generation - Liters | 169,385 | |
| HFO Used for Power Generation - Liters | 0 | |
| Electricity Produced by Renewable Sources - KwH | 0 | |
| Natural Gas - MMBTU | 0 | |
| Diesel Used (Less Consumption for Power Generation) - Liters | 393,683 | |
| Propane Used - Liters | 7,259 | |
| Petrol / Gasoline Used - Liters | 12,870 | |
| Aviation Fuel Used | 113,562 | |
| Total Scope 1 GHG Emissions - tonnes of C02 | 1,500 | |
| Scope 1 GHG Emissions from diesel - stationary | 455 | |
| Scope 1 GHG Emissions from diesel - mobile | 1,056 | |
| Total Scope 2 GHG Emissions | 0 |
Social
For additional details on NOVAGOLD's community and social development practices, please refer to NOVAGOLD's most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, and Management Information Circular dated March 25, 2021, available at www.sec.gov, www.SEDAR.com or on NOVAGOLD's website at https://www.novagold.com/investors/invest/
Employment
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male Employees | Low: 6; High: 68 | 7 | High ranges of Donlin Gold employees in all rows reflects the seasonal nature of work at the project site. |
| Female Employees | Low: 5; High: 22 | 6 | In 2020, women comprised 46 percent (six of 13) of NOVAGOLD’s employees. |
| Male Contractors | Low: 1; High: 46 | 0 | |
| Female Contractors | Low: 0: High: 13 | 0 | |
| Local Employees | Low: 10; High: 80 | 0 | "Local" is defined as Alaska |
| Regional Employees | Low: 1; High: 38 | 0 | "Regional" is defined as Yukon-Kuskokwim region |
| Shareholders Employees | Low: 4; High: 59; includes 3 Nikolai | Not Applicable | "Shareholders" refers to having a relationship with Calista or TKC1 |
| National Employees | Low: 11; High: 85 | Not Applicable | "National" for Donlin Gold refers to the USA |
| Foreign National Employees | 0 | 0 | All employees/contractors are U.S. or Canadian citizens |
| Local Senior Managers | Low: 4; High: 7 | 0 | |
| Regional Senior Managers | 0 | 0 | |
| National Senior Managers | Low: 4; High: 7 | 5 | |
| Foreign National Senior Managers | 0 | 0 | All employees/contractors are U.S. or Canadian citizens |
| Number of Non-Management Employees Who Are Female | Low: 3; High: 19 | 5 | |
| Number of Management-Level Employees Who Are Female | Low: 2; High: 3 | 1 | |
| Local Contractors | Low: 2; High: 41 | Not tracked | |
| Regional Contractors | Low: 0; High: 5 (estimated) | Not tracked | |
| National Contractors | Low: 1; High: 118 | Not tracked | |
| Foreign National Contractors | Not Applicable | 0 | All employees/contractors are U.S. or Canadian citizens |
| Number of Suppliers With Clauses in Contracts Related to Local Employment | 71 | Not Applicable |
Turn Over
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Number of Employees Who Left the Organization Voluntarily | Low: 2; High: 64 | 0 | Field season ended, Camp closure |
| Total Number of Employees Who Left the Organization Due to Dismissal | 2 | 0 | |
| Total Number of New Employee Hires | Low: 2; High: 74 | 1 | |
| Percentage of Open Positions Filled By Internal Candidates | 0 | 1 |
Labor Unions
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Employees Covered by Collective Bargaining Agreements | 0 | 0 | There are no unionized employees at either NOVAGOLD or Donlin Gold. |
| Days Lost to Strike Action | 0 | 0 |
Training
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Hours of Training for Employees | 564 | Not tracked | |
| Hours of Enviromental Training for employees and contractors | 174 | Not tracked | |
| Hours of Health, Safety, and Emergency Response Training for Employees | 342 | Not tracked | |
| Hours of Health, Safety, and Emergency Response Training for Contractors | 222 | Not tracked |
Local Employment Plan
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is a Local Employment Plan In Place | Yes | Not Applicable | For Donlin Gold, this relates to local Land Agreement/Shareholder hire agreements with Calista and TKC |
Health and Safety
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near Misses | 31 | 0 | |
| First Aid/Minor Injury | 27 | 0 | |
| Medical - Days of Restriction | 14 | 0 | |
| Hours worked - Employees and Contractors | 166,739 | 0 | |
| LTIFR | 0 | 0 | Lost Time Incident Frequency Rate is defined using the calculation of number of lost-time injuries per one million employee hours worked. |
| TRIFR | 1.2 | 0 | Total Recordable Incident Frequency Rate is defined as an incidence rate of lost-time injuries, fatalities, and medical incidents and is computed using the formula: (number of injuries and illnesses X 200,000) / employee hours worked = medical incidence rate. Note: ‘200,000’ represents the number of hours 100 employees work based on 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year, and provides the standard base for calculating the incidence rate for an entire year. |
Human Rights
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Employees Trained on Human Rights | 85 | 13 | |
| How Many Human Rights Grievances Were Escalated to Legal | 0 | 0 |
Business Ethics
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| How Many Reportable Code of Conduct Breaches Were Reported in The Past Month? | 0 | 0 | |
| How Many Hours of Training on Anti-Corruption Were Received in The Past Month? | 122 | Not tracked |
Purchases
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchases From Regional Suppliers - $USD | 171,321 | Not Tracked | Good/services |
| Purchases From Local Suppliers - $USD | 8,409,772 | Not Tracked | Regional+Local |
| Purchases From National Suppliers - $USD | 13,415,089 | Not Tracked | Regional+Local+National |
| Purchases From International Suppliers - $USD | 7,809,406 | 0 | International only |
Suppliers
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Regional Suppliers | 14 | Not Tracked | "Regional" is defined as Yukon-Kuskokwim region |
| Number of Local Suppliers | 160 | Not Tracked | "Local" is defined as Alaska |
| Number of National Suppliers | 232 | Not Tracked | Regional+Local+National |
| Number of International Suppliers | 22 | 0 | International only |
| Local Procurement Plan In Place | Yes | Not Applicable |
Grievances Received
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Rights (Automatically Escalated) | 0 | 0 | |
| Unmet Obligation | 0 | 0 | |
| Resettlement / Relocation | 0 | 0 | |
| Land Compensation | 0 | 0 | |
| Land Encroachment | 0 | 0 | |
| Land Access | 0 | 0 | |
| Property Damage | 0 | 0 | |
| Road Quality | 0 | 0 | |
| Driving / Speeding | 0 | 0 | |
| Security Behavior | 0 | 0 | |
| Employee Behavior | 0 | 0 | |
| Contractor Behavior | 0 | 0 | |
| Contractor Payment Problems | 0 | 0 | |
| Local Procurement / Contracting | 0 | 0 | |
| Local Employment | 0 | 0 | |
| Spills | 0 | 0 | |
| Water | 0 | 0 | |
| Dust | 0 | 0 | |
| Emissions | 0 | 0 | |
| Noise / Light | 0 | 0 | |
| Vibrations | 0 | 0 | |
| Other | 0 | 0 |
Grievances Resolutions
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Number of Grievances Remaining From The Previous Period | 0 | 0 | |
| Total Number of Grievances Received | 0 | 0 |
Community Engagement
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of engagements with local community members | 389 | Not Applicable | For Donlin Gold, this is tracked across more than 56 communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region. |
Community Investment - Donlin Gold project only
| Item | Donlin Gold | NOVAGOLD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health - $USD | 178,679 | Not Applicable | All NOVAGOLD investments are made through Donlin Gold under the 50/50 partnership with Barrick. Therefore, NOVAGOLD provides 50 percent of the funds for the Donlin Gold investments. |
| Education - $USD | 345,865 | Not Applicable | |
| Arts, Culture & Sports - $USD | 381,095 | Not Applicable | |
| Environment - $USD | 259,728 | Not Applicable | |
| Economic Development - $USD | 29,060 | Not Applicable | |
| Infrastructure - $USD | 82,564 | Not Applicable | |
| Water Infrastructure - $USD | 54,000 | Not Applicable | |
| Community Engagement - $USD | 223,623 | Not Applicable | |
| Other - $USD | 371,600 | Not Applicable | |
| Scholarships Provided - quantity | 91 | Not Applicable | |
| Compensation Payments - $USD | 0 | Not Applicable |
* Calista Corporation (Calista), which owns the mineral resources at the Donlin Gold project, and the The Kuskokwim Corporation (TKC), which owns much of the surface land, are the Alaska Native Corporations that are our partners on the Donlin Gold project.
Governance
For additional details on NOVAGOLD's corporate governance practices, please see the most recent Management Information Circular dated March 25, 2021 and posted to www.sec.gov, www.SEDAR.com or the NOVAGOLD website at https://www.novagold.com/_resources/investors/2021-03-25-Definitive-Proxy-Circular.pdf
General
| Governance Item | Value | Additional Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Location of corporate office | Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Salt Lake City, UT, USA | |
| Description of services/products | Gold mine developer | |
| Location of projects | Not Applicable | |
| Status of Operations | Not Applicable | |
| Ownership | Publicy traded corporation under the laws of British Columbia, Canada, and trading on the NYSE American and TSX stock exchanges under the symbol NG. | |
| Does the Company have an enterprise level environmental policy? | Yes. Applicable policy: https://www.novagold.com/_resources/governance/Environmental_Policy.pdf | |
| Global Compact Signatory | No | |
| Memberships in associations | Alaska Miners Association, Council of Alaska Producers, National Mining Association, Resource Development Council (Alaska), and American Exploration and Mining Association (national) | |
| Statement from Senior Decision Maker | Annual messages from Chairman and CEO are contained in the company's annual report available on the website at https://www.novagold.com/investors/financials/ | |
| Values, principles, standards, and norms of behavior | See https://www.novagold.com/_resources/governance/Code-of-Business-Conduct-and-Ethics-2014-01-10.pdf%20%20and%20Code%20of%20Business%20Conduct and Code of Business Conduct | |
| Does the Company have a publicly disclosed Code of Conduct | Yes. Applicable policy: Code-of-Business-Conduct-and-Ethics-2014-01-10.pdf (novagold.com) | |
| Mechanisms for advice and concerns about ethics | Yes. Applicable policy: Code-of-Business-Conduct-and-Ethics-2014-01-10.pdf (novagold.com) | |
| Whistleblower Policy or Programs, including confidential hotline and stated protection of whistleblowers | Yes. Applicable policy: Code-of-Business-Conduct-and-Ethics-2014-01-10.pdf (novagold.com) | |
| Process for delegating authority for economic, environmental, and social topics from the highest governance body to senior executives and other employees | Yes. Applicable policy: See pages 94-107 of Management Proxy Circular dated March 25, 2021 | |
| Board Member or board committee responsible for ESG issues | Corporate Governance and Nominations Committee, and Environment, Health, Safety, Sustainability and Technical Committee. Committee Charters provide guidance for Members: https://www.novagold.com/_resources/governance/Corporate-Governance-and-Nominations-Charter-updated-Jan-27-2021.pdf and | |
| https://www.novagold.com/_resources/governance/EHSS-Technical-Committee-Charter-2016-11-18.pdf | ||
| Composition of the highest Governance body and its committees | The Board of Directors is the highest governing body, consisting of 10 Directors, eight of whom are independent. There are five standing committees: Audit; Compensation; Environment, Health, Safety, Sustainability and Technical; Corporate Governance and Nominations; and Corporate Communications. https://www.novagold.com/company/directors/ | |
| How many women / what proportion of women are on the board | 3 of 10, or 30% | |
| How many directors serve on the board | 10 | |
| Board diversity and board independence | Yes. See page 96 of Management Information Circular dated March 25, 2021 regarding Board independence and pages 100-103 regarding Board diversity | |
| Diversity programmes | See pages 100-103 of Management Information Circular dated March 25, 2021 | |
| Chair of the highest Governance body | Thomas Kaplan, Chairman of the Board | |
| The classification of the Board Chair | Non-independent | |
| Does the Board have an independent Lead Director? | Yes. Anthony Walsh serves as the Board’s independent Lead Director | |
| Conflicts of interest | See pages 99-100 of Management Information Circular dated March 25, 2021 and the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics: https://www.novagold.com/_resources/governance/Code-of-Business-Conduct-and-Ethics-2014-01-10.pdf | |
| Role of the highest governance body in setting purpose, values, and strategy | See pages 47-48 and pages 95-99 of the Management Information Circular dated March 25, 2021 | |
| Collective knowledge of highest governance body | Board of Directors is highest governance body; see biographies of Directors at https://www.novagold.com/company/directors/ and additional Director background in the Management Information Circular dated March 25, 2021 | |
| Evaluating the highest governance body’s performance | See pages 101-102 of the Management Information Circular dated March 25, 2021 | |
| Remuneration Policies | See Management Information Circular dated March 25, 2021 | |
| Responsibility for Board and Executive Compensation | See pages 99-100 of Management Information Circular dated March 25, 2021 and the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics: https://www.novagold.com/_resources/governance/Code-of-Business-Conduct-and-Ethics-2014-01-10.pdf | |
| Process for determining remuneration | See Compensation Discussion and Analysis and Non-Executive Director Compensation in the Management Information Circular dated March 25, 2021 | |
| Has the company adopted an advisory executive compensation "Say On Pay" vote? | Yes, vote held annually | |
| Approach to shareholder engagement | Maintaining an active shareholder engagement program continues to be a high priority for the Company and is an integral part of our corporate governance practices. The Board Chair, CEO, and Vice President of Corporate Communications meet regularly with large shareholders, and the Company’s Corporate Communications team is very responsive to shareholder inquiries regardless of ownership level. In 2020, NOVAGOLD placed calls to or met in person with all of its shareholders owning 40,000 shares or more; in other words, NOVAGOLD contacted or attempted to contact its owners holding approximately 92% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares entitled to vote at NOVAGOLD’s 2020 annual meeting of shareholders. We plan to continue to regularly engage with our shareholders. | |
| Date of most recent annual financial report | Annual Report on Form 10-K filed January 27, 2021 | |
| Financial reporting cycle | 2020 annual financial results reported January 2021. Q1 2021 financial report on Form 10-Q filed March 31, 2021; additional Form 10-Q filings planned in June 2021 and October 2021. | |
| Sustainability reporting cycle | Sustainability Summary report issued annually | |
| Contact point for questions regarding ESG Disclosure | Vice President, Corporate Communications or Manager, Investor Relations: info@novagold.com or Telephone: 604-669-6227; Toll-free: 1-866-669-6227 |
Human Rights
| Governance Item | Value | Additional Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Human Rights Policy and Scope | See https://www.novagold.com/_resources/governance/Human-Rights-Policy.pdf | |
| Does the company's human rights or other formal policy cover community consultations and indigenous rights | Yes | |
| Number of grievances about human rights filed, addressed, and resolved through formal grievance mechanisms | 0 | |
| Incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken | 0 | |
| Anti-Discrimination Policy | See page 102 in the Management Information Circular dated March 25, 2021 | |
| Operations and suppliers at significant risk for incidents of child labor | No. All operations and suppliers exist under U.S. or Canadian regulations and labor standards | |
| Does the Company's Code of Vendor Conduct address child labor? | No. We do not have a Code of Vendor Conduct | |
| Operations and suppliers at significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labor | No. All operations and suppliers exist under U.S. or Canadian regulations and standards of practice | |
| Does the Company's Code of Vendor Conduct address forced labour? | No. We do not have a Code of Vendor Conduct; see Human Rights Policy | |
| Incidents of violations involving rights of indigenous peoples | 0 | |
| Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments | 0 | |
| Employee training on human rights policies and procedures | All employees affirm their commitment to the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics annually | At Donlin Gold, 85 employees have been trained in human rights. No grievances at either NOVAGOLD or Donlin Gold were escalated to legal in 2020. |
Anti-Bribery & Anti-Corruption
| Governance Item | Value | Additional Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Bribery & Anti-Corruption Policy | https://www.novagold.com/_resources/governance/Anti-Corruption-Anti-Bribery-Anti-Fraud-Policy-2020-03-05.pdf | |
| Highest level of executive oversight for the company's anti-bribery or anti-corruption program? | Company Ethics Officer (Vice President & CFO) | |
| Number of grievances about anti-corruption and anti-bribery, addressed and resolved through formal grievance mechanisms | 0 | |
| Operations assessed for risks related to corruption | Not Applicable | |
| Does the company provide anti-corruption training to all employees, including management? | All employees affirm their commitment to the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics annually | |
| Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken | 0 | |
| Payments to Governments | NG_ESTMA-Report-FY-2020.pdf (novagold.com) |