Harmony Gold Mining Company sustainability score: 31/100
Making progress starts at 46. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Harmony Gold Mining Company, founded 1950 and headquartered in Randfontein, South Africa, is a major precious metals producer operating deep underground and open-pit mines across South Africa, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. The company operates the world's largest tailings retreatment programme and is the second-largest primary gold producer globally by output.
Head office South AfricaStaff ~34,000Revenue ~ZAR 81bn (~US$4.3bn)Website ↗
Harmony Gold publishes comprehensive climate and ESG reporting with SBTi-validated targets, but will miss its FY26 interim emissions milestone. Scope 3 emissions remain undisclosed. Trade association membership in MCSA actively lobbies against South Africa's carbon tax—directly misaligned with the company's 1.5°C commitment. Hidden Valley mine in PNG has documented sedimentation and environmental litigation history.
Harmony Gold Mining Company scores 31/100 (Below expectations) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it. Last verified July 2026.
That places Harmony Gold Mining Company joint 698th of 1,023 companies scored, and 1st of 13 in Mining & Extraction.
What is Harmony Gold Mining Company doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Transparency & Accountability and Carbon Footprint: Operations (7/10, 6/10). Weakest on Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain and Nature & Biodiversity Impact (3/10, 3/10).
Where Harmony Gold Mining Company lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
What would raise this score
- Emissions from its supply chainAssess where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Its effect on natureAssess its effect on nature and publish a basic environmental policy.
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations6/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
- Emissions from its supply chain3/10No assessment of where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Whether its emissions are falling4/10No evidence of a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- How clean its energy is4/10Less than half its energy shown to be renewable, or no transition plan.
- Its effect on nature3/10No assessment of its effect on nature, and no basic environmental policy.
- How it uses materials and handles waste4/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- Its effect on water5/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets6/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports7/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- Its record on controversies5/10Points deducted for controversies or its business model. The finding is under question 10.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is Harmony Gold Mining Company's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is Harmony Gold Mining Company's score based on?
12 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
25% of them were published by Harmony Gold Mining Company itself; the rest come from independent sources.
9 of 12 sources are independent of the company.
“We assure 21 material indicators, of which six are subject to reasonable assurance and 15 to limited assurance.”
“The mine also emitted 933,205 tons of CO2 equivalent in 2024.”
“In 2023, we received approval of our 1.5°C SBTi near term target to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 63% by FY36.”
“Our level of alignment with GISTM is a matter we are continuing to assess noting the practicality and economic feasibility of retrofitting historical TSFs.”
“We have committed to reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 63% by FY36 from a FY21 base year.”
“Harmony anticipates that this latest project will supply about 20% of the peak daytime demand of South African operations once completed.”
“Harmony Gold has maintained its Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) score of 'A' for its water management during the 2023 assessment period.”
“Harmony refurbished three WWTPs on behalf of the Matjhabeng, Matlosana, and Merafong municipalities.”
“A pause in certain Eva Copper land-clearing activities for a protected species assessment.”
“Its members include famous South African mining houses such as Anglo American, De Beers, Gold Fields, and Harmony.”
“The Minerals Council's engagement with specific items of climate legislation has focused primarily on South Africa's Carbon Tax Act, which the group has consistently pushed to block, weaken or delay since 2015.”
“Local landowners are suing the mine's owners, Harmony Gold and Newcrest Mining, for alleged negligence in allowing the pollution of the rivers with material containing heavy metals.”
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How does Harmony Gold Mining Company compare with other mining & extraction companies?
Harmony Gold Mining Company is the highest-scoring mining & extraction company we've rated.
Among the 13 major mining & extraction brands we've scored, Harmony Gold Mining Company sits 1st of 13.
Who comes next in Mining & Extraction?
Harmony Gold Mining Company leads its sector. These are the next 3 down.
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