Podcast: The Path Toward Sustainability

Rapaport’s Avi Krawitz chats with Iris Van der Veken of the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 about the organization’s immediate and long-term goals.

Fresh off its second workshop for members, which took place in Geneva, the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 emerged with a clearer focus that will drive the group’s sustainability programs forward, executive director Iris Van der Veken stressed on the Rapaport Diamond Podcast.

The initiative was founded last April based on three pillars that would shape its agenda: building climate resilience, preserving resources and fostering inclusiveness. The February workshops gave members the opportunity to prioritize the organization’s programs within that framework and set immediate and long-term milestones, Van der Veken told Rapaport Senior Analyst Avi Krawitz.

The discussion also explored what sets the initiative apart from other programs that promote the industry’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda and how the luxury brands are approaching sustainability challenges. She also went into greater detail about how the industry could raise the bar when it came to issues such as climate change, gender equality and governance.

Listen to the podcast here: