January 2026: A new chapter in tackling illegal gold mining is unfolding in the Amazon. Brazil’s National Council of Justice, or Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ), the body responsible for issuing guidance and instructions to judges nationwide, has incorporated Conservation Strategy Fund’s Mining Impacts Calculator (MIC) into its "Manual for Quantifying Environmental Damages", which guides how environmental harm is assessed in complex cases.

The True Cost of Gold

At Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF), we believe that you cannot manage what you do not measure. For too long, the true cost of illegal gold mining remained "invisible" in traditional economic ledgers. While the market price of gold was easily tracked, the immense price paid by the planet—mercury-poisoned rivers, destroyed forests, and decimated public health—was often ignored in the courtroom.

That changed in 2021 with the launch of the Mining Impacts Calculator (MIC). What began as a pioneering pilot project in Brazil has now evolved into a legal standard, fundamentally shifting how environmental justice is served across the Amazon and beyond. 

A Breakthrough for the Legal Defense of Nature and People

In January 2026, Brazil’s National Council of Justice, or Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ), the body responsible for issuing guidance and instructions to judges nationwide, incorporated the Mining Impacts Calculator (MIC) into its "Manual for Quantifying Environmental Damages", which guides how environmental harm is assessed in complex cases.

Until now, MIC has been used by prosecutors, federal police, and environmental authorities such as the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), as well as by prosecutors in Peru, to support investigations, build cases, and calculate damages linked to illegal gold mining. With the CNJ’s adoption, judges across Brazil’s federal courts are now authorized to reference or accept MIC valuations as official evidence when determining fines and compensation, giving the tool formal legal standing nationwide.

About the Mining Impacts Calculator 

Launched in partnership with Brazil’s Federal Public Ministry (Ministério Público Federal), the Mining Impacts Calculator has been used since 2021 to quantify the social, environmental, and economic costs of illegal gold mining in monetary terms, including impacts from mercury contamination, deforestation, and public health risks.

In Brazil’s Tapajós Basin, CSF estimated over US$ 1 billion in socio-environmental damages in 2020, more than triple the gold’s market value. Across the wider Amazon, total losses reach US$ 50 billion, reinforcing the scale of harm associated with illegal mining and the importance of robust economic valuation in judicial decision-making.

The MIC’s Journey of Regional Expansion 

Recognizing that mining ignores national borders, CSF began a massive campaign to expand the calculator's reach to other countries struggling with unsustainable mining practices, such as Peru and Colombia. In early 2024, the calculator expanded its operations to Guyana, Suriname, and Ecuador with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 

With additional support from the World Bank, we launched a specialized version of the MIC for Bolivia, incorporating specific data on protected areas and regional impact case studies. In April 2025, the tool underwent a major UX overhaul, featuring a new visual identity and improved icons to make complex economic data more accessible to its growing use-base of non-economists.

With support from FCDS (Fundación para la Conservación y el Desarrollo) and the Moore Foundation, in July of 2025 CSF signed an agreement with the Peruvian Attorney General’s Office (PGE) where they agreed to incorporate the use of the MIC in defense of environmental destruction. CSF built capacity within the country, training over 200 attorneys and lawyers, and hosting specialized workshops for journalists in Iquitos and magistrates in Arequipa. This is the second Amazonian country, after Brazil, to formally implement the use of the MIC to reduce the harmful impact of mining on the environment and the people who depend on it. 

On November 4 and 5, 2025, the Brazil Ministry of Environment and CSF Brazil hosted a dedicated Knowledge Lab session at the MinamataCOP6 Convention on Mercury titled "Mining Impacts Calculator: A Tool for Mercury Impact Assessment in ASGM." CSF joined partners from the Brazilian Ministry of Environment (Ministério do Meio Ambiente e Mudança do Clima), the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (Ministério Público Federal), the Federal Police (Polícia Federal), and Amazon Conservation to lead this side event. Our Innovation Director, Pedro Gasparinetti, presented the Mining Impacts Calculator’s ability to measure the social and environmental costs of artisanal and small-scale gold mining, especially those related to mercury pollution. The presentation specifically highlighted how the MIC addresses one of the Convention’s core goals: reducing mercury use in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM). It showcased the tool’s ability to estimate the recommended investment levels for mercury-free technologies and quantify the irreparable human health costs associated with mercury contamination.

From a Judicial Tool to a Strategic Asset

Following the convention, the MIC began to be framed not just as a judicial tool for punishment, but as a strategic asset for the private sector. It was promoted as a way for the jewelry industry to ensure supply chain transparency and accountability by understanding the real-world impact of the gold they source.

The inclusion of the MIC at COP-6 was a key part of the momentum that led to the Brazilian National Council of Justice (CNJ) formally adopting the tool into their manual in January 2026, as it demonstrated the tool's global scientific credibility and its alignment with international environmental treaties.

Ultimately, this tool can now be used by anyone from a local community member to a Federal Judge to better understand the true costs of this extractive sector on the health of people and the planet. From its humble beginnings as a localized calculator to its 2026 status as a new cornerstone of Brazilian environmental law, the Mining Impacts Calculator proves that when we value nature correctly, we can protect it effectively. 

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Read about the MIC’s impact in Mongabay here: https://news.mongabay.com/2024/03/amazon-prosecutors-get-sharper-impact-tool-to-charge-illegal-gold-dealers/

Use the tool yourself here:  https://miningcalculator.conservation-strategy.org/