Cartier, Kering and RJC launch ‘watch & jewellery initiative 2030’

Cartier, delegated by Richemont, and Kering launch the ‘Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030’ in partnership with Responsible Jewellery Council, to bring together watch and jewellery global players committing to a common core of key sustainability goals
Cartier, Kering and RJC launch ‘watch & jewellery initiative 2030’

Driven by a common conviction that the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and aspirations for a sustainable industry can only be achieved through collaborative initiatives, Cartier, delegated by Richemont, and Kering, in partnership with the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), have come together to broaden and strengthen their action, launching the Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030.

The initiative welcomes all watch and jewellery brands with a national and international footprint willing to commit to a set of ambitious and common objectives in three areas: building climate resilience, preserving resources, and fostering inclusiveness.

For the first time in the industry, the Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030 aims at bringing 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.

Standing at the crossroads of environmental considerations and the ambition to strengthen positive impacts for people all along the value chain, the commitments supported by the Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030 lie at the very heart of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with the initiative itself contributing to Goal 17, “partnerships for the goals.”

The initiative builds on strong, existing initiatives and organisations in the industry, such as the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) and Science Based Targets (SBT) and includes newer areas of focus such as science-based climate targets, biodiversity protection and materials and business model innovation, with the intent of encouraging and enabling industry transformation and innovation.

The initiative is open to all watch and jewellery players with a national or international footprint that commit to dedicating their resources and energy to continuous improvement on sustainable business topics, and to developing a vision of excellence for the industry, no matter their starting point, market segment or position in the value chain.

“As the watch and jewellery sector relies on the earth’s precious resources and people’s know-how around the world within its value chains, the imperative to act together in creating a more positive impact has become ever clearer. We are thrilled to join efforts towards a more sustainable industry together with Kering, in partnership with the Responsible Jewellery Council, and to invite other industry actors to join this initiative. More than ever, we remain committed to share our common vision of a future where all Maisons, their suppliers and business partners are empowered to collaborate on projects that deliver positive impact on the planet and its people”, said Cyrille Vigneron, President and CEO of Cartier.

“At Kering, we believe that luxury is inseparable from the highest environmental and social standards, and that it is our responsibility, as leading luxury players, to initiate the changes that are needed to protect our planet. We have long been convinced that only collective action can make the difference to transform our industry for the better. For watch and jewellery just like for fashion, we believe that committing collectively to a common core of quantified environmental objectives focusing on a few themes is the best way to really have an impact. The changes we are fighting for are essential for the future not only of the planet but of our industry itself”, said Jean-François Palus, Group Managing Director of Kering.

Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director of Responsible Jewellery Council, shared her vision for the joint initiative, “The 2030 Agenda is about leaving no one behind. Business can be a force for positive change and impact by supporting a global economy that protects people, the planet and the natural systems that sustain us. Business as usual is no longer an option. The RJC is determined to help business be a force for that change through transformative partnerships. By working together we can greatly contribute to the urgent change needed to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the Decade of Action, and create a better fairer world by 2030. As part of the RJC Roadmap 2030 strategy, designed to deliver immediate and long-term impacts, RJC will continue to seek innovative partnerships to accelerate change and enable action throughout the global jewellery and watch supply chain – this is our promise to future generations.”

While focusing on three thematic priorities – building climate resilience, preserving resources, and fostering inclusiveness, the initiative strongly commits to transparency with the requirement to report on progress on a regular basis. It will also support members in meeting growing expectations of stakeholders, including consumers, civil society, and regulators, of exemplary environmental, social and ethical practices.

GOAL 1: BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE

Commitments include:

  • Engage on Science-based Targets for Climate by 2025 with actions that include:
    • Decarbonising across all Scopes 1, 2 and 3.
    • Implementing 100% renewable energy across operations by 2025 and extending to the whole value chain with the engagement of suppliers and distribution partners by 2030.
    • Implementing best practices for energy efficiency across operations and services, with a special focus on reducing the impact of digital communications, commerce and events, considering their growing prevalence.
  • Work towards achieving net zero GHG emissions by balancing residual emissions with high- quality GHG removals, and investing in high-quality climate projects, including in nature-based solutions, with a focus on the conservation and restoration of forest, coastal and marine ecosystems.
  • Help vulnerable populations in the watch and jewellery industry value chain and contribute to low-carbon solutions for these communities.

GOAL 2: PRESERVING RESOURCES FOR NATURE AND COMMUNITIES

The second goal of the initiative is to ensure that the industry’s sourcing has a positive impact on nature, species, and communities.

As a minimum commitment by 2022, brands joining the initiative should measure and prioritise their impact on biodiversity and water across their sourcing of key raw materials, using a credible science-based framework.

Further commitments include defining and implementing action plans to reduce water and biodiversity impacts, by 2025, by:

  • Implementing sourcing standards that both protect natural ecosystems and the services they provide to local and indigenous peoples. This means ensuring that supply chains are free of products sourced from ancient and endangered forests and commit to restore habitats where mining and other extraction activities have occurred, and contributing to the development of local livelihoods for mining and farming communities that respect the balance of natural ecosystems.
  • Creating a new industry mindset focused on sustainable innovation and circularity in materials, products and practices in the industry.

GOAL 3: FOSTERING INCLUSIVENESS ACROSS THE VALUE CHAINS

As a minimum commitment, brands joining the initiative should join the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) and become Code of Practices (COP) certified in the following two years.

Commitments are the following:

  • Supporting the certification of 100% of Tier 1 suppliers by 2025 and 60-80% of Tier 2 suppliers by 2030.
  • Eliminating the exposure of employee and nature to chemical risks, by increasing the part of closed-loop processes, heading towards the elimination of leakage of chemicals of concern used in the industry and increasing the prevalence of metal-free tanning.
  • Taking action across the industry to embrace diversity, equity and inclusion, to drive positive change.
  • Contributing to the preservation and transmission of craftsmanship and industry know- how and support the upward mobility of our workforce as manufacturing and workplaces become increasingly digitized.

More information: www.wjinitiative2030.org

 

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