Centerra Gold Inc
CGAU
Materials
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exclusion reasons
2 themes
This page is part of our public exclusion list — a transparency tool that shows which companies we screen out and why. It is not investment advice, and it is not an accusation. But it is subject to change as our understanding of the facts evolves.
Centerra Gold Inc. is a Canadian mining company whose primary business is the extraction of gold and copper. Its flagship Kumtor mine in Kyrgyzstan was the subject of a landmark 2021 court ruling that found the operation had breached environmental laws by placing waste rock on glaciers, resulting in a $3.1 billion fine. The company has faced numerous, sustained allegations of environmental harm and human rights violations related to its operations in Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia over many years, as documented by groups including MiningWatch Canada. While Centerra's current operating portfolio is focused on mines in Canada, the United States, and Türkiye, its historical and material involvement in non-fuel mineral extraction, particularly gold, defines its core business activity.
Centerra Gold operates the Kumtor gold mine in Kyrgyzstan, one of the largest high-altitude gold mines in the world. The mine has a documented history of environmental incidents, including a 1998 tailings dam failure that released cyanide-laced waste into local rivers. Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for Ecology and Climate has cited the operation for contaminating soil and groundwater and for improper waste storage. The company’s environmental management has been a central point of contention in its long-running dispute with the Kyrgyz government, which in 2021 temporarily seized control of the mine citing environmental violations. While Centerra has published environmental reports and notes remediation efforts, the scale of the operation in a sensitive glacial region and the history of significant incidents place it under continued scrutiny for ecological damage.
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