Swiss gold trade

Switzerland is of particular global importance concerning the trade of gold. About two-thirds of the globally extracted gold is imported, refined, and re-exported by Switzerland. There are many issues regarding transparency of the Swiss gold value chain, such as the question about the origin of the gold refined in Switzerland. This is a particular issue as gold mining is associated with many environmental burdens, such as destroyed ecosystems. Accordingly, little is known about the link of Swiss gold trade to the many environmental issues associated with global gold extraction. In the Swiss Minerals Observatory, we aim to create more transparency on the Swiss gold value chain and the related environmental impacts. For this purpose, we build on an improved methodology¹ and databases² based on multi-regional input-output (MRIO) analysis, a form of life-cycle analysis that allows tracking the impacts of global value chains. In this context, we merge several existing MRIO databases, improve the resolution, and integrate data on the extracted, refined and traded gold amounts, with a special focus on Switzerland. Furthermore, we improve the biodiversity loss impact assessment by combining a global-scale data set of mining areas based on satellite images³ with most recent life-cycle impact assessment methodologies⁴. Our study provides more transparency in the Swiss gold value chain and the related environmental impacts, in particular biodiversity loss. We compare our results with current gold statistics and reports to identify specific gaps and limitations in current reporting of (Swiss) gold trade.