CRG subscribes to international best practice in sustainable development. To this end it pursues a policy of openness and transparency in all its dealings with legislators, affected communities and other stakeholders.

In addition, all mines are required by the new minerals legislation to abide by the principles of the National Environmental Management Act.1998 (NEMA) as amended and to comply with the principles of sustainable development. As such, all mines are required to develop a Social and Labour Plan to demonstrate how the mine will comply with the objectives of social and economic development and empowerment that are laid out in the Mining Charter for the South African mining industry in terms of the MPRDA. Central Rand Gold has indicated that it is committed to develop and implement the Mining Work Program, as well as the Social and Labour Plan, which has to be carefully integrated into the Johannesburg Metropolitan City Council's Integrated Development Plan.

CRG is conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment and devising an Environmental Management Plan which involves widespread public participation. Affected communities and groups have been broadly consulted throughout this process to ensure a beneficial outcome for all concerned.

CRG's mining activities in the vicinity of the Johannesburg metropolitan area require a completely novel and environmentally rigorous mining plan. Indeed, CRG intends to set a new standard for environmentally safe, clean and non-intrusive mining in South Africa. Mining will take place within narrowly contained "slots" initially, proceeding to depths of 30 metres, and up to 900 metres within a few years.

This will be unlike any other mining operation in South Africa due to the novel mine design and the use of cutting edge mining and environmental technologies, many of them successfully in use in Australia and elsewhere. Great care has been taken in the planning of the proposed mine to ensure that environmental impacts are minimised and contained. The potential environmental impacts have been analysed in detail and the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) will incorporate state-of-the-art mining and environmental technologies. Slot mining methods will be used to access outcropping ore so as to minimise disruption to the surface, and mining voids will be systematically backfilled and rehabilitated. Portions of the proposed mining area comprise disturbed land due to old mining activities which, due to the presence of old underground workings and disused shafts, pose a safety threat to nearby communities. Central Rand Gold will strengthen some of these old workings and make safe old shafts, and will rely for the most part on a new underground network using state-of-the-art technology. CRG will backfill some of the old disused tunnels and workings that currently make a rabbit's warren of the area underlying the Johannesburg CBD, thereby making it safer.