In 2010, Goldcorp financially supported the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) North American Water Footprint Study. The report explores the embeddedness of water in the economies of Canada, the US, and Mexico, and the resulting interdependencies on external freshwater resources that occur through international trade. In 2011 the partnership grew when Goldcorp seconded an expert employee to assist the WWF with an in-depth North American study on the water footprint of gold and also financially supported the WWF Panda Ball.

A long-time general supporter of WWF Canada, John Allan, Goldcorp VP Sustainable Development, says "I thought there may be an opportunity to do something more specific by way of a joint project, and this water initiative was ideal."

Ripple effect

The aim of WWF's gold study is to determine the North American average for how many cubic metres of water go into producing one ounce of gold, then work with the industry to mitigate water impact and apply findings across sectors. Goldcorp's goal is to gain deeper knowledge of the most efficient water usage to reduce consumption in every region where it operates.

Goldcorp pays the salary of Alicia Sierra, Environmental Engineer at Los Filos mine in Mexico, who relocated to Vancouver for 18 months to work as a WWF Freshwater Research Analyst. With vast experience setting up environmental controls, baseline measurements and benchmarks for monitoring air quality, ground water, rivers, wells and springs, Sierra is now applying her expertise to a ground-breaking water footprint assessment of a cross section of gold mining companies, operations and processes, continent wide.

Pop, lager & gold

Sierra reports to WWF Freshwater Program Director Tony Maas, who says the mining criteria are loosely modelled after similar water footprint studies done with beer producers, soft drink makers and the UK food and fibre sector.

"Alicia is customizing the parameters for her industry" says Maas. "She is incredibly knowledgeable and specializes in water elements of mining so it's a great fit for us. This is a classic example of how WWF works with corporate partners - working together to find solutions to conservation challenges."

Digging deep

Sierra's work requires extensive fact-finding and analysis. "I look at mine locations in three countries, which extraction and processing methods are used, how much water is consumed, and many other factors for comparison" she says. "The mining footprint is complex and variable because sites may use similar amounts of water but source it differently. For example, Ontario can collect and use rainwater, whereas Nevada cannot."

"My goal is to provide WWF with the research, knowledge and expertise they need to strengthen their projects and initiatives, and to bring to Goldcorp new conservation strategies to improve our practices and processes. As a global citizen, certainly I also want my future family to have the enjoyment of this planet's resources.  I have personally achieved more awareness of where things come from, how they are made and what we need to do to lessen our environmental impact - as a company, consumers and every human being - and hope to influence others to have the same consideration so that my work will contribute positively beyond Goldcorp and the WWF," says Sierra 

So how does Goldcorp rate on the global water scale?

The average world estimate for water use in the mining sector is 6,000 litres to produce one ounce of gold. Goldcorp has achieved rates of just 2,800 litres per ounce at its Red Lake Mine in Ontario and continues to look for ways to reduce impact across its operations around the world.

What is a nation's water footprint anyway?

A nation's water footprint is defined as the total volume of fresh water used in the production of all goods and services consumed by a country's citizens. It includes products that are made domestically and imported from elsewhere in the world. So a nation's footprint impacts its own water resources and ecosystems as well as others countries who are trading partners.

Guess how much water it takes to make a T-shirt...

One cotton T-shirt requires 2,900 litres of water to produce. This includes all the water used in the production chain, from cotton crops to the garment factory. When you factor in the entire path from where cotton is grown, to where and how it's processed, to where the shirt is manufactured and eventually sold, you begin to see the complexities of the world water chain and how this impacts local ecosystems and economies.

What's Canada rating on the world water use scale?

The Canadian average water footprint is 6,400 litres per day; the USA is 7,800 and Mexico 5,400. The global average is 3,800. According to the latest Living Planet Report, the nation with the largest production water usage is India, followed by China, the USA and Brazil. Canada ranks 16th. Learn more at
www.panda.org/about_our_earth/all.../living_planet_report/