Equinox Gold Publishes 2024 Sustainability Report

Rhea-AI Summary

Equinox Gold (NYSE: EQX) has released its 2024 Sustainability Report, highlighting significant progress in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. The company achieved a 31% improvement in environmental performance and maintained strong safety records, including eight years without lost-time injuries at Mesquite Mine.

Key achievements include US$10.1 million in social investments, 96% procurement spend within host countries, and implementation of water stewardship initiatives. The company diverted 4,531 tonnes of waste from disposal and rehabilitated 38.5 hectares of land. For 2025, Equinox Gold plans to focus on improving safety performance, implementing HR strategies, and enhancing risk management systems.

Positive

• 31% improvement in environmental performance with 0.20 incident frequency rate
• Zero tailings or heap leach-related environmental incidents
• Strong safety record with 8 years without lost-time injury at Mesquite Mine
• Increased social investments to US$10.1 million
• 96% of procurement spend remained within host countries
• Raised C$1.24 million for Geraldton District Hospital through community initiatives

Negative

• None.

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 15, 2025) - Equinox Gold Corp. (TSX: EQX) (NYSE American: EQX) ("Equinox Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the publication of its 2024 Sustainability Report. Informed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) frameworks, the report provides a comprehensive overview of the Company's performance and progress across key environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics, including safety, environmental stewardship, community engagement and ethical business practices. The report and detailed GRI and SASB data tables are available for review and download on Equinox Gold's website at www.equinoxgold.com/responsible-mining.

Greg Smith, CEO of Equinox Gold, commented: "Responsible mining is foundational to how we operate at Equinox Gold. ESG principles are central to our culture, our business strategy, and the decisions we make each day. In 2024, we made meaningful progress on several fronts: improving our environmental performance, advancing water stewardship projects, increasing our social investments, and enhancing initiatives focused on ethical governance and transparency. We also expanded training, leadership and health and well-being programs for our workforce to ensure our team has the skills to work safely and thrive in their workplace. I am proud of our team's dedication to each other and to upholding our responsible mining commitments."

2024 ESG ACHIEVEMENTS

Environment

• Improved our environmental performance by 31% compared to 2023, achieving a Significant Environmental Incident Frequency Rate of 0.20 per million hours worked
• Demonstrated best practices in tailings and heap leach management, with zero tailings or heap leach-related environmental or safety incidents
• Diverted 4,531 tonnes of hazardous and nonhazardous material from disposal
• Rehabilitated 38.5 hectares of land and planted more than 32,395 seedlings
• Advanced several water stewardship initiatives, including implementation of dry stack tailings and maintenance of a freshwater reservoir at our RDM Mine to serve both the mine and local communities

Social

• Celebrated eight years without a lost-time injury ("LTI") at Mesquite and recorded zero LTIs at Greenstone and Castle Mountain in 2024, with a Company-wide LTI frequency rate of 0.49 per million hours worked (target 0.61)
• Achieved a Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate of 2.21 per million hours worked (target: 3.00)
• Increased social investments to US$10.1 million, focusing primarily on healthcare and education
• Invested in our communities, with 96% of total procurement spend remaining within host countries and 16% directed to local suppliers (up from 14% in 2023)
• Invested in our people, with continuation of our Leadership Academy in Brazil and launch of our new Emerging Leader Program in North America
• Organized the Ride to Greenstone cycling relay from Vancouver, BC to Geraldton, ON, celebrating the opening of our new Greenstone Mine and raising C$1.24 million for the Geraldton District Hospital and over C$200,000 for local charities at our United States and Brazil mines

Governance

• Upheld human rights across our organization, including human rights risk assessments, workforce ethics training and publishing our first Modern Slavery Report
• Achieved 100% acknowledgment of Equinox Gold's Supplier Code of Conduct from over 4,000 active suppliers
• Tied 8% of executive incentive compensation to ESG metrics
• Formalized a Company-wide Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy underpinned by four pillars: inclusive leadership, inclusive culture, workforce diversity and equity in practice, all committed to a merit-based workplace grounded in fairness and equity to empower our diverse workforce and drive innovation

2025 ESG PRIORITIES

• Continue to improve our health and safety and environmental performance
• Implement the objectives detailed in our Human Resources and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategic roadmaps
• Complete external assurance of the World Gold Council's Responsible Gold Mining Principles at two sites
• Complete training on Equinox Gold's Social Management Standards at all sites
• Implement a new Enterprise Risk Management system to improve risk management efficiency, data accessibility and reporting

More information about Equinox Gold's 2024 performance, 2025 targets and commitments to responsible mining is available in the reports and other disclosure on our website at www.equinoxgold.com/responsible-mining.

Equinox Gold Contact

Ryan King
Senior Vice President, Capital Markets and Strategy
T: +1 778.998.3700
E: Ryan.King@equinoxgold.com
E: ir@equinoxgold.com

Cautionary Notes

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "Forward-looking Information"). Actual results of operations and the ensuing financial results may vary materially from the amounts set out in any Forward-looking Information. Forward-looking Information in this news release relate to, among other things: the ESG objectives and priorities, including expectations for the Company's health, safety and environmental performance. Forward-looking Information is generally identified by words such as "target", "ensure", "continue", "develop", "commitment" and similar expressions and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", or "should", or the negative connotation of such terms, are intended to identify Forward-looking Information. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such Forward-looking Information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on Forward-looking Information since the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Company has based Forward-looking Information on the Company's current expectations and projections about future events and these assumptions include: the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws or other requirements, standards or protocols; and the Company's ability to meet its ESG objectives, priorities and targets. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on Forward-looking Information contained in this news release. Forward-looking Information involves numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such Forward-looking Information. Such factors include those described in the section "Risk Factors in in the Company's MD&A dated March 13, 2025 for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in the section titled "Risks Related to the Business" in Equinox Gold's most recently filed Annual Information Form which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar. Forward-looking Information reflects management's current expectations for future events and is subject to change. Except as required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any Forward-looking Information contained or incorporated by reference to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or other factors affecting Forward-looking Information. If the Company updates any Forward-looking Information, no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect to those or other Forward-looking Information. All Forward-looking Information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/258812

FAQ

What are the key ESG achievements of Equinox Gold (EQX) in 2024?

Equinox Gold achieved a 31% improvement in environmental performance, maintained zero tailings incidents, invested US$10.1 million in social initiatives, and achieved eight years without lost-time injuries at Mesquite Mine.

How much did Equinox Gold (EQX) invest in local communities in 2024?

Equinox Gold invested US$10.1 million in social investments, with 96% of total procurement spend within host countries and 16% directed to local suppliers (up from 14% in 2023).

What are Equinox Gold's (EQX) environmental achievements in 2024?

The company improved environmental performance by 31%, diverted 4,531 tonnes of waste, rehabilitated 38.5 hectares of land, planted over 32,395 seedlings, and maintained zero tailings-related incidents.

What are Equinox Gold's (EQX) ESG priorities for 2025?

Priorities include improving health and safety performance, implementing HR and diversity strategies, completing external assurance of Responsible Gold Mining Principles, and implementing a new Enterprise Risk Management system.

How does Equinox Gold (EQX) tie executive compensation to ESG metrics?

Equinox Gold ties 8% of executive incentive compensation to ESG metrics, demonstrating commitment to environmental, social, and governance objectives.