SUSTAINABILITY 
Frequently asked questions
We've compiled answers to some of the most frequently asked questions-from how tailings are stored and governed, to how we prepare for emergencies and ensure independent verification of our systems.
If you don’t see your question here or would like more information, we welcome you to get in touch -we’re committed to transparency and open dialogue.
Tailings are the mineral waste materials left over after extracting valuable metals from ore. They are typically stored in engineered structures known as Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs), designed to safely contain this material over the short and long term.
As of August 2025, Gold Fields manages a portfolio of 36 TSFs across its global operations. The Lawlers TSFs are grouped into a single complex, Windfall is excluded.
A tailings facility with an 'extreme' consequence classification means that it would have extreme consequences if it were to fail, but it does not mean that it is high or extreme risk.
The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) is the first universal standard for TSF safety and governance. It integrates environmental, social, technical, and economic criteria across the full TSF lifecycle-from design and operation to closure and post-closure.
Gold Fields is a founding contributor to the GISTM and has committed to full conformance by 2025 for all relevant TSFs.
Gold Fields assesses its TSFs against all 219 criteria of the GISTM, not just the 15 Principles or 77 Requirements. As of August 2025:
Assessing at the criteria level (219 criteria) enables precise, transparent, and credible measurement of conformance. It ensures nothing is overlooked and facilitates robust third-party verification. Principle-level reporting alone would not provide the necessary detail for internal risk management or external accountability and would mask non-conformant requirements.
Gold Fields appoints independent assurance professionals-not engineering firms-to verify self-assessment outcomes. These specialists have interdisciplinary expertise and conduct:
The goal is to independently assess the reasonableness and authenticity of the disclosures made in relation to Gold Fields’ self-assessed conformance of the selected TSFs against the GISTM, through review ofthe documented policies, systems, and procedures, not to assess the technical sufficiency of individual reports, which is handled through our governance system (e.g., ITRBs, EORs).
After closure, TSFs enter a phase of long-term monitoring, maintenance, and active closure. Activities may include reshaping, covering, revegetation, water management, and periodic safety inspections of the stable landforms to ensure ongoing environmental and structural integrity.
Each Gold Fields asset maintains tailored emergency plans including:
Dam breach studies inform these and include inundation mapping, warning thresholds, real-time monitoring, and community alert systems.
Gold Fields engages proactively with local communities through:
We prioritise transparency and inclusion, particularly for those living near TSFs or downstream from facilities.
Filtered tailings-also called dry stack tailings-are dewatered tailings that are compacted and stacked in layers. This method:
Gold Fields maintains a governance model with:
