Governance

Our collaboration with researchers at McGill University has resulted in a process that eliminates chlorine almost entirely from our gold refining process. The process is non-toxic, safer for our people and less energy-intensive. The traditional gold refining process has existed almost unchanged since the 1860s.

This breakthrough builds on previous work done in 2019 to reduce chlorine use in gold refining. At that time, the Mint introduced a new technology in the gold refinery process —acid-less separation (ALS)—reducing the need for chlorine gas by more than 50% in the Ottawa refinery.

Following lab scale testing and patent filing, the Mint will assess the feasibility of applying this technology to the production scale gold refining process.

This innovative technology and the collaboration with McGill won the Best Collaboration Award at the Mint Directors Conference (MDC) in April 2025.

The Mint's brand is synonymous with the purity, quality and security of our refinery bullion products. In 2024, the Mint became the first Canadian refiner to launch a traceability solution-known as Bullion GENESIS™ -which leverages distributed ledger technology for the purpose of performing end‑to‑end tracing, from mine to vault, and to certify the provenance and integrity of gold deposited and processed in our refinery. Once fully implemented, this traceability technology will further enhance the robustness of the Mint's responsible sourcing practices.

The Mint’s Responsible Sourcing (Precious Metals) Policy ensures refinery operations continuously meet rigorous and responsible sourcing standards. The Mint continues to be a certified London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) Good Delivery Refiner, with our Responsible Metals Program being audited against the LBMA’s Responsible Gold Guidance Version 9.

Read more about our Responsible Metals Program: Responsible Metals Program | The Royal Canadian Mint

The Mint has successfully developed and applied the Flaring Technology, which was aimed to minimize the use of new base metal material, into the production of Bi‑metal coins.

The Mint is continuing to develop and implement guidelines that provide contextualized guidance on how to incorporate consideration for sustainability throughout the contract lifecycle stages of sourcing, procurement and post-award contract management.

The Mint is committed to adhering to the highest standards of business conduct in carrying out our vision. Our Code of Conduct and Ethics provides guidance for our employees and sets forth the core values of honesty, respect, pride and passion. As part of that commitment, employees complete mandatory online Code of Conduct and Ethics training.

The Mint holds our suppliers to the same standards as we hold our employees with our Supplier Code of Conduct. The Supplier Code responds to legislation relating to child labour and forced labour and addresses many other sustainability requirements of suppliers.

The Mint’s Anti-Money Laundering/Anti-Terrorist Financing (AML/ATF) Compliance Program includes the appointment of an AML/ATF Compliance Officer, implementation of policies and procedures, regular assessment of risk mitigation measures, a compliance training program, and reviews of the effectiveness of the program every two years. The Mint’s AML/ATF Compliance Program responds with risk mitigation measures when considering new products and distribution channels and complies with Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) guidance for dealers of precious metals and stones.

The Mint is subject to the Access to Information Act (Canada) and the Privacy Act (Canada). Its Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator has delegation of authority from the CEO for ensuring that requests for information are responded to in compliance with said acts and related government policies, including employee training and awareness with a focus on assisting requesters. In 2024, the Mint was one of the first government institutions to implement the Treasury Board of Canada's approved Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) processing software, demonstrating its commitment to serving Canadians who request access to Mint records.

Mint employees have access to an independent, third party, confidential whistleblowing program for employees, contractors and members of the public to report allegations of wrongdoing. This service allows those making reports to do so anonymously should they wish in the official language of their choice. The whistleblowing program is an integral part of the promoting the Mint’s culture of right doing.

The Mint continues to advance its digital strategy with cybersecurity as a foundational enabler. Our cybersecurity program is aligned with Government of Canada best practices and recognized industry standards, and now explicitly incorporates responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This includes the establishment of an AI Council, supported by formal terms of reference and enterprise guidance for responsible AI use. These measures are designed to protect privacy, manage and mitigate emerging risks, and enable safe productivity gains across the organization.

The Mint conducts tabletop exercises with teams across the organization to test our ability to respond to various scenarios, including loss of technology, loss of people, loss of business partner and loss of facilities. These exercises allow the Mint to develop strategies to mitigate the impact of these scenarios before they happen.