Environment
Our state-of-the-art Winnipeg facility will be carbon neutral by 2030, meaning all of our domestic and foreign circulation coins from that point onward will be carbon neutral.
An Environmentally and Socially Responsible Mint
From our Winnipeg mint to your pocket, coins have long been an essential part of Canadian life. The Royal Canadian Mint produces hundreds of millions of new Canadian circulation coins every year — little circles of multi-ply plated steel forged from iron ore that help fuel the economy.
Our minting facility has a global reach, as well. In addition to our domestic supply, we also produce more than a billion coins every year for other countries, and provide others still with the technology and materials needed to strike their own. That’s all the more reason why it’s critical that the Mint becomes a more sustainable enterprise.
Although coins live at least 15 times longer than bank notes — a fact that led to the replacement of $1 and $2 bank notes with loonies and toonies — there’s still a lot of work to do to reduce the carbon footprint of our pocket change.
While circulation coins are what we’re best known for, the Mint is also tackling the environmental footprint of several key areas of our precious metals business, which operates from our Ottawa facility. On the environmental sustainability front, we’re working with university researchers to develop a gold refining process that demands far fewer chemicals. Socially and economically speaking, the Mint adheres to international standards on responsible sourcing and traceability.
Overall, the Mint is doing its part by meeting stringent standards of environmental, social and governance (ESG) responsibility. Since 2020, we’ve been implementing a number of changes that bring the Mint in line with the United Nations’ 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Chief among them is the pledge to have carbon neutral circulation coins by the turn of the next decade.
To get there, the Mint has implemented more than two dozen initiatives so far, including improving our processes for sourcing precious metals and manufacturing coins, and investing in Canadian communities.
Keep reading to learn more about the Mint’s approach to ESG.
2023 ESG Commitment
and Action Plan
The Royal Canadian Mint is pleased to share
its 2023 ESG Commitment and Action plan.
Download the full document to learn more.
Social Responsibility
Environmental sustainability is critical to addressing climate change, but it isn’t the only area of importance. Social responsibility — both within the Mint and outside of it — is essential to building greater resiliency as an organization and as a nation.
Corporate Governance
Being a responsible Mint means having a strong, ethical approach to corporate governance. Our north star is accountability on all sides, including how we source materials, manufacture our products and choose our business partners.
ESG Trends
ESG Trends
Transparency is critical as we progress along our ESG Journey. We will continue to expand our framework of key performance indicators (KPIs) and evolve our methods of tracking and reporting.
A Caring Mint
The Mint performs a duty that is essential to Canadians, and it doesn’t take that responsibility lightly. We use our unique position as Canada’s coin producer to support important causes, shine a light on historical figures and moments, as well as advocate for responsible sourcing in Canada and around the world — all while generating value to the Canadian economy.
“Through everything we do, we strive to be a performing and caring Mint — environmentally, socially and ethically,” says President and CEO Marie Lemay.