Page 19 - Bullion World Volume 5 Issue 08 August 2025

Bullion World | Volume 5 | Issue 08 | August 2025

A Highlighted Discussion at APPMC 2025 5. Industry Advocacy and Public Engagement
The significance of the Gold Principles Group was GPG acts as a unified voice to engage with
brought to the spotlight during a featured fireside governments, multilateral institutions, and civil
chat at the Asia Pacific Precious Metals Conference society, promoting policy frameworks that support
(APPMC) 2025. Chaired by Mr John Mulligan, Head of transparency, trade access, and fair competition.
Sustainability Strategy at WGC, the session was led by
Mr Albert Cheng, CEO of SBMA and Chairman of the How GPG Works
Gold Principles Group. The Gold Principles Group is not a regulatory body but
a platform for voluntary cooperation and convergence.
Mr Albert Cheng emphasized the growing urgency Working groups are formed under various focus areas
for gold markets to meet global expectations around - ESG, sourcing, digital gold, and trade standards -
traceability, ESG alignment, and ethical sourcing. He where members propose, test, and refine actionable
also spoke about how regional synergies between frameworks.
Asia, the Middle East, and Africa are essential in
building a universally accepted gold ecosystem that These proposals are then presented to industry
can withstand both policy changes and consumer bodies, standard setters, and governments, advocating
scrutiny. for adoption either through policy alignment or
voluntary best-practices.
What the Gold Principles Group
Aims to Achieve GPG also coordinates with financial institutions and
ESG rating agencies to ensure that its frameworks
The GPG focuses on five strategic pillars: align with global compliance and sustainability
1. Harmonised Responsible Sourcing Standards benchmarks such as the UN Guiding Principles,
By aligning regional definitions and audit protocols, OECD Due Diligence, and the EU Conflict Minerals
the group works to eliminate loopholes in illicit gold Regulation.
flows, encourage conflict-free sourcing, and raise
traceability in both artisanal and industrial mining. Looking Ahead: A Unified Gold
Framework for the World
2. ESG Compliance and Climate Alignment The Gold Principles Group is at a defining inflection
GPG supports the gold sector in embedding point. With geopolitical uncertainty, growing scrutiny
ESG frameworks into refining, trading, and retail. of mineral supply chains, and the rapid digitisation of
The objective is to make gold a climate-resilient precious metals trade, the need for a trusted global
asset that responds to both investor demand and framework is stronger than ever.
international climate goals.
From building trust in small-scale gold miners to
3. Technology and Digital Gold Infrastructure elevating the credibility of large-scale refiners and
From blockchain to digital tokens and e-gold creating an audit-friendly ecosystem for investors, the
registries, the group promotes innovation GPG is laying the foundation for a transparent, future-
that enhances accountability, audit trails, and ready gold economy.
consumer confidence in physical and digital gold
products. Its efforts are not just about aligning rules - they’re
about redefining values. In a world that demands
4. Global Recognition and gold to be not just precious but principled, the Gold
Regulatory Coordination Principles Group is setting the gold standard for gold
A major goal is cross-border recognition of gold itself.
certifications (e.g., LBMA, DGD, BIS, UAE GD)
to prevent market fragmentation. The group is
facilitating regulatory dialogue to make frameworks
interoperable and investor-friendly.

19