Building partnerships and new multi-stakeholder initiatives will be key towards creating a more sustainable future in the global jewellery industry, senior jewellery brand executives said during a panel discussion on the first day of the CIBJO Congress in Jaipur, India, on October 3.

The session was moderated by Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director and Secretary General of the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 (WJI 2030), which is an organization established by Cartier and Kering to accelerate positive measurable impact, particularly in respect to building climate resilience, preserving resources and fostering inclusiveness. She set the scene on how the WJI 2030 is based on a partnership model with United Nations Global Compact and UN Women.

Anouchka Didier-Mansour, International Sustainability Director at Cartier, said she expected a surge in new collaborations over the next seven years as stakeholders seek to achieve the UN-backed Sustainable Development Goals by the 2030 target date.

“At Cartier, sustainability has been deeply rooted in our DNA,” Ms. Didier-Mansour said, adding that Cartier set up a dedicated sustainability department 18 years ago.

“The next seven years will be decisive for our industry. We have to accelerate,” she stated.

Ms. Didier-Mansour said that she expected increasing commitments of stakeholders to deliver progress.

“It is important for Cartier to support projects that have concrete impact on the ground,” she noted.

Francesca Manfredi, Head of Sustainable Innovation at the Kering Group, told the panel that collective efforts are needed achieve a more sustainable future in the global jewellery industry.

Milan Choksi, a senior executive of India’s Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and a luxury jeweller, shared the importance of being authentic on disclosure and claims. He also spoke about the opportunity to grow talent in our industry.

He said that that India offered scope to build many jobs in the gem and jewellery industry, embracing those who may not have had a full education as well as those who were well-educated. 

Both Cartier and Kering backed the establishment of the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030  in recent years, which is driving forward efforts to invest in knowledge, partnerships, traceability and social justice in the global industry. 

“When I think of my four-year-old daughter, I think that I must work to do whatever I can to make a better world,” Francesca Manfredi said.

“Whatever we do, we can do more and better,” CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri said.

Ms. Van der Veken concluded that is key for the industry to be united and bring everyone on the journey. All the learnings of WJI 2030 will be shared with the wide industry and stakeholder ecosystem. This is a responsibility to bring along the full value chain especially the SMEs, she said.