Kalo Gold awarded BBB Digbee sustainability rating after first assessment
Kalo Gold received an overall BBB sustainability rating from Digbee after its first assessment, which covered the company and its Vatu Aurum Project in Fiji.
Kalo Gold Corp. (TSXV:KALO)(OTCID:KLGDF)(FSE:9M51) has received an overall BBB sustainability rating from Digbee following its first submission dated 15 September 2026. The assessment covered the company at corporate level and its 100%-owned Vatu Aurum Project in Fiji.
Digbee awarded Kalo Gold a corporate rating of BBB, within a range of CCC to A. The Vatu Aurum Project also received a BBB rating, with a range of C to AA. The overall Digbee scale runs from AAA to D.
The review was conducted by an accredited team consisting of two scorers and a team lead. Each question was considered against standardised criteria, with the results averaged into an output score and a confidence band showing the range in which the score could move if identified risks are realised or mitigated.
Digbee ratings are third-party opinions based on information submitted at a particular point in time. Kalo Gold stated that the rating is not a credit rating, investment recommendation or statement of fact, and may be revised, suspended or withdrawn.
Kalo Gold reported no fatalities, disabling injuries or lost time incidents since exploration activities began in 2010. During the first eight months of 2026, over 90% of staff were Fiji nationals, while the site team reached nearly 100 people.
Approximately 70% of current project procurement was sourced locally, according to the company. Kalo Gold is licensed to display the Digbee ESG Certified emblem from 15 September 2026 to 14 September 2027.
The assessment noted relevant capital markets, technical, financial management and operational experience among Kalo Gold's Board, management and advisors. It also recorded the involvement of a sustainability advisor, quarterly reporting by the Safety and Sustainability Committee to the Board, and an 11-point sustainability framework.
Digbee also recognised the company's relationships with landowners and communities, including access and compensation agreements for exploration activities. Engagement is conducted in English and iTaukei, with support from dedicated landowner liaisons. The assessment recorded contributions to community infrastructure in Fiji, including water supply systems and community road access.
Kalo Gold's SiteDocs digital system records health, safety and environmental information, including expenditure, training, monitoring and reporting. At project level, AAA ratings were awarded for local representation in the project team and for security and firearms practice. AA ratings covered team and equipment security, stakeholder engagement, local language engagement, cultural preservation, stakeholder inclusion in decision making, water discharge and the commencement of baseline monitoring.
At corporate level, the highest rating awarded was AA for permitting compliance monitoring.
Digbee identified three broad areas for improvement: integrating sustainability more explicitly into corporate strategy, developing and embedding integrated risk management at corporate level, and establishing succession plans for Board members and key management and technical personnel.
The assessment also noted that the current Board does not demonstrate gender diversity and that Kalo Gold has no policy or procedure covering Board recruitment or evaluation of Board capabilities. It further recorded that no Remuneration Committee had been established and that the current remuneration programme did not include ESG performance-related incentives.
Emergency preparedness planning was described as focused on site activities rather than corporate resilience, including business continuity and cybersecurity.
The scores are valid for twelve months from 15 September 2026, and Kalo Gold's next Digbee submission is due on 15 September 2027.
Kalo Gold is a Vancouver-based gold exploration company advancing the Vatu Aurum Project on Vanua Levu, Fiji. The project comprises a 367 km² land package and includes gold targets along a northeast-trending corridor of low-sulphidation epithermal systems, including the Aurum Prime area and Wainikoro.
The company said no mineral resource or mineral reserve has been estimated on the Vatu Aurum Project. Its stated risks include exploration not resulting in a discovery, permit, tenure and title risks, operating risks in Fiji, dependence on key personnel, environmental, health and safety risks, financing and dilution risk, and commodity price volatility. Kalo Gold also cautioned that a future Digbee submission could result in a lower rating and that the identified improvement matters may not be addressed in the manner or within the time anticipated.
Kalo Gold Corp. announced that it had been awarded an overall sustainability rating of BBB by Digbee following its inaugural submission dated 15 September 2026. The rating covers Kalo Gold Corp. at corporate level and its 100%-owned Vatu Aurum Project in Fiji.
Kalo Gold Corp. received an overall Digbee sustainability rating of BBB. The corporate rating was BBB, with a range of CCC to A, and the Vatu Aurum Project rating was BBB, with a range of C to AA.
Digbee assessed Kalo Gold Corp.'s submission question by question against standardised criteria on a scale from AAA to D. The assessment was carried out by an accredited team of two scorers and a team lead, with the results averaged to produce an output score and a confidence band.
The rating covers Kalo Gold Corp. at the corporate level and its 100%-owned Vatu Aurum Project in Fiji. The submission was made under Digbee's exploration-stage corporate and project frameworks and included evidence from the Company's Safety and Sustainability Programme.
Kalo Gold Corp. reported no fatalities, no disabling injuries and no lost time incidents since exploration activities began in 2010. During the first eight months of 2026, over 90% of staff were Fiji nationals, the site team reached nearly 100 people, and approximately 70% of current project procurement was sourced at the local level.
Digbee recognised Kalo Gold Corp.'s Board, management team and advisors for relevant experience, its sustainability advisor, quarterly Safety and Sustainability Committee reporting and 11-point sustainability framework. It also recorded relationships with landowners and communities, access and compensation agreements for all exploration activities, engagement in English and iTaukei, community infrastructure contributions, and the use of SiteDocs for health, safety and environmental records.
At project level, Kalo Gold Corp.'s Vatu Aurum Project received the highest available rating of AAA for local representation in the project team and for security and firearms practice. AA ratings were awarded for team and equipment security, stakeholder engagement, local language engagement, cultural preservation, stakeholder inclusion in decision making, water discharge and the commencement of baseline monitoring.
Digbee identified opportunities to integrate sustainability more explicitly into corporate strategy, develop and embed integrated risk management at corporate level, and establish succession plans for Board members and key management and technical personnel. It also recorded a lack of gender diversity on the current Board, no Board recruitment or evaluation policy, no Remuneration Committee, no ESG performance-related incentives in the current remuneration programme, and emergency planning focused on site activities rather than corporate resilience such as business continuity or cybersecurity.
Kalo Gold Corp. Chief Executive Officer Terry L. Tucker described the BBB rating as a measured starting point from the Company's first Digbee submission and said the report provided a specific list of areas to work on. Digbee Chief Executive Officer Jamie Strauss said the result reflected Kalo Gold Corp.'s comprehensive submission and its disclosure of what it does rather than what it would like to be seen doing.
Kalo Gold Corp. is licensed to display the Digbee ESG Certified emblem for the period 15 September 2026 to 14 September 2027. The Company stated that the rating and emblem licence are subject to the risks and conditions described in its forward-looking information.
Kalo Gold Corp.'s next Digbee submission is due on 15 September 2027. The current scores are valid for twelve months from 15 September 2026.
Kalo Gold Corp. is a gold exploration company advancing the 100%-owned Vatu Aurum Project on Vanua Levu, Fiji. The project comprises a 367 km² land package and the Company's work focuses on a northeast-trending corridor of low-sulphidation epithermal gold targets, including the Aurum Prime area and Wainikoro.
Kalo Gold Corp. is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under KALO, the OTCID Market under KLGDF, and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under 9M51.
Kalo Gold Corp. states that the Digbee rating is a third-party opinion based on information submitted at a point in time, is not a credit rating, investment recommendation or statement of fact, and may be revised, suspended or withdrawn; a future submission may result in a lower rating. The Company also identifies risks including exploration not resulting in a discovery, with no mineral resource or mineral reserve estimated on the Vatu Aurum Project, permit, tenure and title risk, operating risks in Fiji, dependence on key personnel, environmental, health and safety risk, financing and dilution risk, commodity price volatility, and the possibility that identified improvement matters may not be addressed as anticipated.