What We Do
Supporting a vibrant and sustainable future for the gold market.
The World Gold Council was formed in 1987 by some of the world’s most forward-thinking mining companies.
There are three core pillars to our mission in serving the gold market and its participants. Learn more about our work in each of the following areas:
Improving Understanding
The comprehensive source of information on gold and its impact on society
Gold plays an important role in the financial system, healthcare, technology, and culture. We are keenly focused on increasing awareness of how gold is adapting to help navigate emerging challenges and changing societal needs.
The information and tools we provide help institutional and retail investors leverage gold as a strategic asset across a range of economic and geopolitical conditions.
Goldhub
Available in both English and Chinese, our website is the definitive source of gold data, insights, and analytical tools for professional investors.
Gold Analysis
Tools like QaurumSM, powered by our proprietary Gold Valuation Framework (GVF) and GRAM help investors analyse gold drivers and performance across various economic conditions.
The Executive Programme in Gold Reserves Management
This closed-door event convenes central banks, sovereign wealth funds, and government ministries for an intimate discussion on the key facets of gold reserve management and trends impacting official sector investments.
Beyond providing information for investors, we also create compelling content capturing the scope and depth of gold and the gold mining industry’s contributions to society.
The Golden Thread
This immersive, five-episode documentary series showcases gold’s impact on humanity’s past, present, and future. This is the story of gold: engineering super-material, biological instrument, symbolic creative medium, and economic pillar.
The Social and Economic Contribution of Gold Mining
Our in-depth report explores the positive economic and social impact of gold mining in regions of operation around the globe.
Improving Access
Championing Industry Innovation
Discover how we drive positive change with a combination of new technologies, data, and partnerships with progressive organisations.
Physically backed Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
In partnership with State Street Global Advisors, the World Gold Council launched SPDR® Gold Shares (GLD) in 2004, providing a new, efficient way to invest in gold. Since then, more than 90 gold-backed ETFs have been launched around the world — including SPDR® Gold Mini Shares (GLDMSM), the low-cost complement to GLD.
SafeGold
Supported by World Gold Council seed funding, this initiative catalysed the “digital gold” category in India — providing investors in the region with affordable and convenient access to gold.
The Insurance Asset Management Fund (IAMF)
Jointly designed by the World Gold Council and PICC Asset Management, the IAMF is the first-ever gold-driven fund of its kind in China. Launched in 2021, the IAMF opened a new chapter for multi-asset portfolios in the region.
Facilitating Greater Market Efficiency
Conceived in collaboration with policymakers, regulators, and industry experts, the following are examples of large-scale infrastructure projects intended to tackle investment barriers and unlock opportunities.
The Shanghai Gold Exchange
The World Gold Council played a key role in the evolution of China gold market with Shanghai Gold Exchange — now the world’s largest physical gold exchange.
The India Gold Spot Exchange
Launching in 2022, the gold spot exchange enables greater transparency and liquidity for the country’s gold market. The initiative was outlined in our Blueprint for Gold Spot Exchange report, developed along with key industry stakeholders in the region.
Improving Trust
Creators of Best Practices and Stewards of Industry Standards
Trust is earned when words and actions meet. In conjunction with our members and other market participants, we build confidence in the gold market by creating and upholding standards for transparency and integrity across the gold value chain.
Gold Bar Integrity Programme
The World Gold Council has partnered with the LBMA to develop and implement an international system of gold bar integrity. Participants from across the gold industry are piloting distributed ledger (blockchain) technology with the aim of expanding the trusted, closed-loop ecosystem which currently exists for the 400oz gold bar market to also include smaller bars, including kilo bars.
Responsible Gold Mining Principles (RGMPs)
This framework, developed in consultation with industry stakeholders, sets out clear expectations for what constitutes responsible gold mining, considering environmental, social, and governance risks that need to be effectively managed.
Retail Gold Investment Principles (RGIPs)
We aim to create value and drive demand across the retail industry by introducing principles that raise the bar for gold product providers and encourage a greater level of trust among retail investors.
The World Gold Council Conflict-Free Gold Standard®
We provide gold producers with a common approach for assessing the way they extract their gold and assuring that they do not support or benefit from unlawful armed conflict or contribute to human rights abuses and breaches of international humanitarian law.
Hallmarking in India
Strongly supported by the World Gold Council — coupled with the launch of the assaying training institute — hallmarking of gold jewellery became mandatory in India in 2021.
Gold Industry Declaration of Responsibility and Sustainability Principles
The gold industry has come together, convened by LBMA and World Gold Council, to sign a Declaration of Responsibility and Sustainability Principles, which formally expresses a shared commitment to operating in a responsible and sustainable way based on clear set of shared goals. The Declaration was announced at the LBMA/LPPM Global Precious Metals Conference, Lisbon on 18th October.
Read our latest press releases to learn more about recent activities
For more information on these initiatives and other work related to best practices, visit our dedicated Industry Standards page.
