焦点 JNA March/April 2023 | 11 Iris van der Veken, executive director of Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030 钟表与珠宝2030倡议执行董事Iris van der Veken they want to wear. This younger consumer is looking for purpose and authenticity. In practice, this means companies have to act and to show measurable progress over time in all aspects of sustainability. Accessible, comparable, transparent data is key.” Zerouki reported that in a recent De Beers Group research, 36 per cent of women and 39 per cent of Gen Z now specifically seek information on a brand’s ethical credentials when buying diamond jewellery. “Furthermore, 40 per cent of women overall said that knowing about the positive impact of diamonds on local communities would make them more likely to buy diamonds, while this proportion went up to 50 per cent for Gen Z consumers. This highlights a real opportunity for diamond brands to capture value differentiation by connecting clients to their diamond’s provenance and its positive impact,” she said. Industry action Luxury companies and associations are leading by example to inspire and promote their ESG goals to the wider jewellery community. Geneva-based Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030, founded by Kering and Cartier, is guided by the UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles and 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It aims to bring together watches and jewellery brands across the globe to begin a collective journey towards a low-carbon future and ensure the industry creates positive outcomes for the planet and for people along the value chain. Launched in October 2021, its members include illustrious brands like Gucci, Pomellato, Qeelin, Cartier, Chanel Watches & Jewellery, Boucheron, Swarovski, Rosy Blue and Dimexon, to name a few. The initiative focuses on three thematic priorities – building climate resilience, preserving resources and fostering inclusiveness. Transparent measurement and disclosure of sustainability performance is now deemed to be an essential part of effective business practices and a necessity for maintaining trust in business. The Watch and Jewellery Initiative collaborated with ESG Book, a global leader in sustainability data, research and technology to launch a focused workstream that includes large brands, manufacturers and suppliers to develop a solution on reporting based on international best practices. “Next step is piloting the framework and, depending on the learnings, we will explore how to scale up this solution. We are also working on a special education journey for SMEs in collaboration with United Nations Global Compact as we believe it is critical to bring everyone on the journey of sustainability,” Van der Veken revealed. De Beers Group is invested in the future by ensuring all the diamonds it discovers create a positive impact for people and the localities where they are found. “We have an immense responsibility to support our host countries and communities not just through employment, local procurement and tax payments but also by fostering wider socioeconomic development that supports sustainable, thriving communities and economies. We also understand that we have a unique opportunity as an industry leader to support enhanced ESG practices within the sector more broadly,” said Zerouki. De Beers’ ESG strategy, called ‘Building Forever,’ consists of four key pillars, namely leading ethical practices, protecting the natural world, supporting thriving communities and accelerating equal opportunity. As a result of the desire of consumers to know more about the origin of their diamond, De Beers has rapidly accelerated its industry blockchain traceability programme TracrTM to underpin consumer trust and aims for full traceability by 2030. It also pledges to help support the formalisation of the artisanal diamond mining sector. We have an immense responsibility to support our host countries and communities not just through employment, local procurement and tax payments but also by fostering wider socioeconomic development that supports sustainable, thriving communities and economies. – Feriel Zerouki, senior vice president for Corporate Affairs, De Beers Group
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