Sustainability is no longer an option but a business imperative in today’s world. From growing conscious consumerism to increased legislation to establish responsible supply chains, the market is requiring more from its suppliers and establishing solid environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials is now a must.

Speaking at the 2024 World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) Congress last November, World Diamond Council President Feriel Zerouki urged companies to deliver on their sustainability pledges. “’Cancel culture’ is what we should be most worried about. If consumers think that your business is striving for the highest standards, but you are not, you will be cancelled,” she said.

Iris Van Der Veken, executive director of the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 (WJI 2030), meanwhile pointed to growing consumer awareness of sustainability issues. “Customers more and more are looking beyond creativity and design excellence to responsible sourcing of materials, carbon footprint reductions, nature and biodiversity impact, circularity and adherence to human rights and decent labour,” she shared.

Sumed Prasongpongchai, director of the Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (Public Organization) or GIT, said sustainable innovation is critical to ensuring the competitiveness and relevance of Thailand’s jewellery sector in the global market. “Thai companies should prioritise eco-friendly practices, ethical sourcing, and innovative, sustainable designs to meet the expectations of modern consumers,” he told JNA. 

Legislation
Heightened government scrutiny makes compliance even more critical.

At the CIBJO Congress, Anghel Raluca, head of External Affairs and Industry Relations at the Natural Diamond Council, cited the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) as one of the most important changes in the EU regulatory framework.

The CSDDD aims to foster sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour in companies’ operations and across their global value chains. This requires companies in the EU to take environmental and social responsibility for the action of their supply chain. 

The directive came into force in July 2024, and EU countries now have two years to adopt it in their national legislation. While initially covering larger organisations, the CSDDD will eventually be implemented more extensively.

Precious metal trader and refinery Italpreziosi has prepared an Empower Your Counterpart (EYC) guide to help partners meet the CSDDD requirements.

Alice Vanni, the company’s CSR director and board member, said, “We need to make sure that our supply chain is ready. The challenge is having to change the mindset of someone not directly under your charge. We created the EYC in 2019 for internal use and then made it available to the trade in 2023 to help transform risks into opportunities.”

Support
Several other initiatives are also in place to assist companies in meeting sustainability goals.

The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) recently launched its Code of Practices (COP) and Chain of Custody Standards (COC) 2024. The COP shares ethical, social, human rights and environmental practices, while RJC’s COC enables fully traceable and responsibly sourced practices. 

WJI 2023 introduced the Climate Navigator in January to help SMEs integrate ESG practices in their businesses. Its Nature Roadmap, updated in May 2024, guides companies on their nature-positive journeys and inspires them through case studies.

In Thailand, GIT will launch programmes to support sustainable practices within the industry, including certification systems for ethically sourced gemstones and eco-friendly manufacturing processes.

JGW & JNA: 42 Years, 42 Stories is an online series running throughout 2025 to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong and JNA. A new story of creativity, craftsmanship and innovation will be released every week. Subscribe to free JNA News Alerts to be notified when the next story is out.