ris Van der Veken is always on the move, trying to “move the needle” on the ESG agenda of the industry. We managed to sit her down for an interview at the Initiative’s headquarters of the Maison de la Paix in Geneva. The association is very young but feels like a seasoned one thanks to its major members’ commitments and the experience of its executive director, who has been in the industry for over 25 years.

Is the WJI 2030 developing as planned? Iris Van der Veken answers transparently: “With humility, we are proud of the progress we have made till date. Yes of course, we have bigger ambitions and we would love more companies joining WJI 2030 in achieving its mission. Today, we have over 70 companies from big brands to small enterprises that have joined this journey with us.”

Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General, WJI 2030

Concrete results

Apart from organic growth of memberships, what are the concrete results that the WJI 2030 has achieved so far? “We have built a solid governance framework, which is crucial to advance the global agenda,” replies the executive director. She continues: “Indeed, when bringing large competitors together, like Kering, Cartier, Chanel, Boucheron, just to name a few - as well as suppliers and stakeholders - it is important to have a clear framework to ensure alignment and collective progress. I am grateful for the diverse Board that gives me excellent guidance and support.”

The Board, co-chaired by Marie-Claire Daveu (Chief Sustainability & Institutional Affairs Officer, Kering) and Cyrille Vigneron (Chairman of Cartier Culture & Philanthropy) includes Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri (President, The World Jewellery Confederation), Dr. Anino Emuwa (Managing Director, Avandis Consulting, Founder of 100 Women @ Davos), Frédéric Grangié (President, Chanel Horlogerie Joaillerie), Jane Hwang (President & CEO, Social Accountability International), Georg Kell (Chairman, Arabesque, Founder, United Nations Global Compact), Alexander Lacik (CEO, Pandora), Licia Mattioli (CEO, Mattioli S.p.A.), Raj Mehta (Director, Rosy Blue), Bernadette Pinet-Cuoq (Executive President, UFBJOP). The Board is complemented by the Risk & Compliance Committee. “This creates a transparent framework within which to operate incorporating the critical element of third party independence when required.”

With that in mind, the next concrete achievement is that members have now started to implement the three interconnected pillars defined by the WJI 2030: Climate, Biodiversity & Nature, and Inclusiveness. As Van der Veken states: “I can humbly say that we are small, but bold and courageous. I see every day the heartfelt appetite of all our members to transform engagements into actions, to accelerate on the pathway we have identified.”

Another aspect where results are felt is building partnerships to leverage existing frameworks and expertise, as Iris Van der Veken explains: “A concrete example is the extensive work we’re doing with the global reporting platform ESG Book. Together we have developed a reporting framework, which has been piloted amongst members and will now go fully live in 2025. This framework is collaboratively designed with input from over 50 members, industry experts, and ongoing external stakeholder consultations, like WWF, Human Rights Watch and some banks. Rather than ‘reinventing the wheel’ it aligns with dominant, credible sustainability standards and global regulation like ESRS, GRI, SBTI etc. It will support companies in collecting data and reporting on their progress, while simultaneously providing an impact and action oriented pathway depending on their level of maturity. Critical to mention here is that all the work we are doing is fully aligned with legislation: we need to ensure that sustainability efforts and compliance is not seen as mutually exclusive.”

An example of the tools WJI 2030 is developing for its members to implement their ESG actions, the Nature Roadmap details the very step needed to advance and accelerate towards a responsible business model that respects, nurtures and protects nature. These tools will be made available for non-members in open source.

Regarding the three central pillars of the strategy, the WJI 2030 has been building practical tools to help members address material topics. Iris Van der Veken details: “Tackling these topics can be overwhelming, especially for small and medium enterprises. This is where the WJI 2030 can offer added value. On climate, we have opened a Helpdesk and launched the Climate Navigator which provides essential guidelines to get started and move forward. Today one third of our members have committed and started setting science based targets and we are working hard to bring the other companies on board. On Nature, we launched the Nature Roadmap in June 2024, in consultation with WEF, IUCN, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), to name a few stakeholders. It is a roadmap for companies to implement their nature pathway. On fostering inclusiveness, the agenda on Human Rights, gender and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) is central in this pillar. We developed a Human Rights Navigator focusing on SMEs. We have built a strong strategic collaboration with UN Women. In 2023, WJI 2030 partnered with UN Women to test the gender responsive procurement assessment tool in the industry through a pilot program. Nine members, including Cartier, Gucci, Swarovski, and Monica Vinader, participated. WJI 2030 and UN Women published a Case Study on Gender-Responsive Procurement as a result, offering insights, methods, and recommendations to help businesses advance gender equality. Moreover, we have launched our Emerging Practices on Women’s Empowerment Principles Implementation report, which highlights 14 emerging trends driven by industry pioneers and early adopters. Brands such as Chanel, Gucci, Pomellato, Mejuri, and initiatives like the Cartier Women’s Initiative have made significant progress in integrating the WEPs (Women Empowerment Principles, editor’s note) into their operations, offering valuable insights to inspire wider adoption.”

WJI 2030 team, from the left, Emilie Van Landeghem, Iris Van der Veken, Mia Benedettini in their headquarters at Maison de la Paix in Geneva.

“We are also running a pilot on CS3D (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, editor’s note) with 14 companies, including Chanel, Cartier, Audemars Piguet, Swarovski, Rosy Blue, Dimexion and others. This is to prepare ourselves for the upcoming compliance needs. We want to use compliance as a way to build capacity and apply systemic change. Compliance is really an opportunity to advance not only on transparency of the supply chain but on the whole value chain. This is where multilateral, multi stakeholders collaboration is critical. We are also working closely with Deloitte Switzerland on a Transformative pathway on D&I (Diversity and Inclusion, editor’s note). We have built a Living wage pathway and we are working on Artisanal and Small-scale Mines engagement, in partnership with Swiss better Gold Association, Impact, ARM, Pact and Moyo Gems.”

Room for improvement

Contrary to luxury’s motto of utmost excellence, there is always room for improvement in the ESG process. “The WJI 2030 director relates: Stakeholders’ expectations evolve. And yes, I repeat myself, if you want to embed sustainability in your strategy, it takes lot of commitment, hard work and dedication across all business functions. It is important, in an industry that is all about beauty, emotions, excellence, craftsmanship and innovation, to understand that we are creating legacies for future generations. We need to make sure that we protect the integrity of what makes it possible. I see two big trends. First, all regulations are moving towards more transparency and traceability of the products. This needs to be central to any strategy. Second, consumers’ expectations are changing. Of course, design, quality, brand image will still remain key in purchasing behaviours, but the new consumer - particularly Millenials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha - will be looking increasingly for purpose and genuine positive impact. Finally, let’s not forget talents - we need the best minds and craftsmanship to create our watches and jewellery, and they want integrity. Reluxury and circularity are here to stay. I am an optimist at heart and I believe that every small action matters. From the consumers to the CEOs, sustainability should be part of every one’s strategy and decisions.”

Competition vs collaboration

Many different organizations are working on sustainable development, in addition to the private sector programs. Are they all in competition with the WJI 2030? Unsurprisingly, Iris Van der Veken replies: “With sustainability, there should be no competition. We are here, very humbly, to work together with anyone in the watch and jewellery industry, and to collaborate with anyone who wants to advance the industry as a whole. In my mind, sustainable development should be seen as an opportunity to develop business, not a constraint. The same way collaborations should be encouraged instead of competition. As a concrete example of this philosophy, WJI 2030 creates open source assets to help companies build and accelerate their transition towards a more responsible business model. We are also looking forward to working with any industry association looking to build synergies.”

So does the Initiative intend to let non-members use these resources? The executive director emphasizes: « Yes, absolutely! But, before it is open to the wider industry, we need to ensure that the tools are tested and are efficient. It takes time. For example, on our Nature Roadmap, WWF suggested we strengthen the link to water preservation. It generated a new work stream on enhancing water stewardship in the value chain. Our reports and toolkits are living and evolving, and our frameworks are updated on a regular basis. This is part of the whole process. Indeed, addressing sustainability is a constantly evolving process.”

WJI 2030 Leadership Summit at UN General Assembly 2024 addressing critical issues of Women Empowerment Principles. From the left: Iris Van der Veken (Executive Director & Secretary Director, WJI 2030), Dr. Anino Emuwa (Founder 100 Women @ Davos), Ilaria Resta (CEO, Audemars Piguet), Antonella Centra (Executive VP General Counsel, Gucci), Alexander Lacik (CEO, Pandora), Raj Mehta (Director, Rosy Blue).

A long way to go

Still, at this point in time, 85% of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are not on track to be achieved by 2030 (as stated in the 2023 Sustainable Development Report from the UN). Conference of the Parties (COPs) on emissions and biodiversity are repeating time after time with little concrete results. Is this a sign that there is a slowdown in the will to really make things change as far as sustainability is concerned?

In her optimistic view, Iris Van der Veken shares her vision: “In my 25 years in the industry, I have witnessed big steps forward. And I see now an accelerated pace. Today, sustainability is increasingly becoming a strategic priority for many organizations and a core item on the CEO’s agenda. CEOs are the key decision-makers, and without their commitment, meaningful change will not happen—let alone drive the urgent transformation the world needs. In today’s world, sustainability departments cannot remain disconnected from leadership and the overall business strategy. I am pleased to see things shifting: sustainability is evolving from a traditional, siloed department to an integrated approach. This shift is critical. The stringent compliance measures we all face should be seen as opportunities to accelerate action. By working closely with suppliers as an extended family, we can create meaningful and measurable impacts on the ground. To move forward, we must think positively.”

Next steps: Actions, actions, actions

Now that the framework is in place, that the resources and tools are available, what does the executive director would like to see the industry achieve by 2030? She replies unequivocally: “It is now only about actions, actions, actions and implementing everything at operational level. We will continue educating, pushing for implementation and developing the scale of our actions. We continue to monitor what is happening on the legislative landscape so that we are relevant to what is occurring. Humbly, I would love to see the whole industry come together to work on a real transition pathway and show how they have impacted positively the people on the ground and the planet in general. I would love to see the industry share openly the positive stories that come out of rising to the challenge, as well as the difficulties that it can generate. I aspire to a more balanced world as far as gender is concerned. Most importantly, I would like to see all companies realize how sustainability creates value for the business and for all people involved in the value chain.”

Indeed, with its enormous power of influence and inspiration, coupled with its substantial financial means, the watch and jewellery industry is in a unique position to be a force for good for the future. To that extent, sustainability should effectively be embedded in every business strategy and this is what the WJI 2030 seems to be tirelessly aiming at.