Investment: Dirty Gold? Most consumers do not care

Gold is in demand - but where it comes from does not matter to most buyers. Customers asked the origin question "rather rare," according to ProAurum, the largest bank-independent precious metal trader in Germany.

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Issue 39/2019

Trio Infernal

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An estimated one in every 2,000 customers is addressing the topic. According to ProAurum, consumers paid attention to paying as little as possible on the value of the material, ie to get a lot of gold for their money.

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Sparkasse Pforzheim Calw, traditionally heavily involved in the gold business, also has no particular interest in sustainable products. "A demand from private customers for fairly traded gold is limited," said the institute.

At Fairtrade only 8 pounds sold in 2018

At Fairtrade Germany, which certifies the fair and environmentally friendly production of products, gold is also hardly in demand. In 2017, the trade volume was 17 kilograms, compared with 8 in the previous year.

For other investments, however, the Germans show a significantly increased awareness of sustainability. Last year, they invested € 219 billion in green funds, a good quarter more than in the previous year.

Gold mining leaves deep traces in nature. For a gram of gold, the mining companies have to move a ton of rock. The precious metal is usually dissolved out with cyanide. Miners also use toxic mercury.

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