It was a great honour to be at the Grand Palais in Paris today, for the ChangeNOW Summit 2025, together with thousands of changemakers from around the world.

WJI 2030 hosted a fireside chat on “Driving the Gender Agenda: The Business Case”, an inspiring conversation with Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer, Kering, Charlotte Saint-Arroman, Executive Director, ONU Femmes France, Dr Anino Emuwa, Managing Director, Founder, 100 Davos Women, Julien Rivals, Global Sustainability A&A Leader, Deloitte, Garance Aulagne, Head of Global Engagement, Women for Change Lead, ChangeNOW.

As moderator, Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General of WJI 2030, brought to the fore a critical conversation on why gender inclusiveness is not just a moral imperative — it’s a business one.

At WJI 2030, we believe fostering inclusiveness is central to building fairer, future-ready companies. There is a strong business case for embedding gender equality into corporate strategy — diverse and inclusive companies consistently outperform their peers in profitability, productivity, and long-term growth.

Earlier this year, WJI 2030 launched a Whitepaper at the World Economic Forum in Davos, calling for greater accountability and transparency through a new reporting framework aligned with the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). This initiative spans the workplace, marketplace, and community, and is a first step toward closing global data and reporting gaps in gender equity.

Let’s stay the course. Let’s drive gender equality not as a checkbox, but as a cornerstone of sustainability, resilience, and growth.

On 3 April 2025, WJI 2030 was pleased to host a panel discussion at Watches & Wonders, “Navigating the Evolving Regulatory and Stakeholder Expectations in the Watch Industry”.

We were honoured to have a distinguished group of experts and industry leaders, sharing valuable insights on the current status and future of the watch industry. Esteemed panelists included Ilaria Resta, CEO of Audemars Piguet; Cyrille Vigneron, Chairman of Cartier Culture & Philanthropy and WJI 2030 Co-Chair; Dr. Anino Emuwa, Managing Director and Founder of 100 Women @ Davos; Justin Fitzpatrick, CEO of ESG Book; Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General, WJI 2030 (moderator).

The discussion highlighted the importance of collective action and the progress made by WJI 2030 today. It further emphasized the critical role of capacity building on material topics for the industry. The panelists shared about the importance of having an open multi-stakeholder platform to support the industry in educating on topics connected to climate resilience, preserving resources, and fostering inclusiveness. Examples were shared on how WJI 2030 supports its members on individual journeys aligned with the regulatory frameworks, while collaborating on projects that deliver value for the industry and beyond.

The Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030 also launched its 2024/2025 Stakeholder Report Towards Collective Action. The report highlights the achievements and progress made by WJI 2030 together with its members, partners and stakeholders. Throughout 2024, WJI 2030 has empowered companies of all sizes and maturity levels to take meaningful actions towards three pillars: climate resilience, preserving resources, and fostering inclusiveness.

WJI 2030 has empowered companies of all sizes and maturity levels through:

Let’s continue the conversation and work towards a more resilient and inclusive future for the watch industry and beyond.

Geneva, Switzerland, 2 April, 2025 – The Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030 (WJI 2030) announces the launch of its 2024/2025 Stakeholder Report Towards Collective Action at Watches and Wonders Geneva. The report highlights the collective action, achievements, and progress made by WJI 2030 together with its members and partners.

As the industry continues to navigate an increasingly complex and evolving regulatory and stakeholder landscape, WJI 2030’s mission and ambition remains unchanged. WJI 2030 provides an open multi-stakeholder platform to improve the understanding of topics, connected to climate resilience, preserving resources, and fostering inclusiveness. It defines individual journeys aligned with the regulatory frameworks, while collaborating on projects that deliver value for the industry and beyond.

Building Business Resilience through Collaboration

 “We are committed to continuing our efforts to support all businesses and the wider industry,” said Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General of WJI 2030. “We see three important pathways ahead, focused on education, action and accountability. The launch of our Action Framework reflects this vision. Collaboration, diverse perspectives, and collective action are the keys to meaningful impact. As we reflect on another year, we are happy to share what has been achieved and optimistic about what’s ahead.”

Throughout 2024, WJI 2030 has empowered members of all sizes and maturity levels, to take meaningful actions towards the three pillars. Key initiatives like the SBTi program for SMEs and the Climate Navigator helped companies balance growth with emissions reductions. The launch of the Nature Roadmap provided clear guidelines for tackling the pressing nature and biodiversity crisis, and it’s through our Nature Action Playbook that we aim to support companies understand their nature dependencies and operationalise their nature strategies. A cornerstone of WJI 2030’s work has been its collaboration with UN Women, which has catalysed commitments to women’s empowerment and gender equality across the industry. This partnership has driven significant progress in aligning companies with the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), ensuring that gender equality is integrated into business models and corporate culture. Today, 50 of WJI 2030 member companies have signed the WEPs and integrated the framework has part of their work fostering inclusiveness.

In January 2025, the WJI 2030 introduced the Impact Action Journey Framework at the World Economic Forum in Davos. This digital framework serves as a structured system to guide companies in their efforts toward climate resilience, resource preservation, and fostering inclusiveness. It is a practical tool for accountability, enabling companies to measure and track their progress in creating tangible, measurable impact. We need to develop solutions that build capacity and foster accountability.

The Path Forward: Taking Action

This Stakeholder Report not only recognises the steps taken to date but also outlines the path forward for WJI 2030. The year ahead will be focused on scaling up actions, and providing clear, practical guidance to support companies in operationalizing new and ongoing legislative frameworks. In an era where brand integrity and talent attraction are more critical than ever, reinforcing responsible business practices is a business imperative.

For a detailed overview of our progress and the actions taken, we invite you to read the full 2024/2025 Stakeholder Report.

To access the full report, please click here.

For more information, please contact: mia.benedettini@wjinitiative2030.org

March 27, 2025

On March 26th and 27th, 2025, the WJI 2030 gathered in Antwerp with our members and strategic partners for the 7th workshop, hosted by Rosy Blue. Over 80 participants from member companies and partner organisations attended this workshop. 

These two full-day session were filled with insightful discussions on the evolving role of companies and the actions that are required of them to strengthen business resilience, foster innovation, and build long-term value. 

It was an incredible opportunity for members and partners to come together, learn, and engage on material topics relevant for our industry, in today’s ever-evolving regulatory and stakeholder landscape. 

On Day 1, we focused on CSRD with an in-depth workshop, led by Deloitte and ESG Book.

On Day 2, we held several interactive and engaging sessions:

– Collective Supply Chain Mapping: Managing Risk & Building Suppliers’ Capacity – Led by BSR and LRQA
– Strengthening Accountability on Gender as the Business Case – Led by ESG Book and UN Women
– Water Stewardship – Led by Quantis
– Building a Nature Roadmap – Led by The Biodiversity Consultancy
– Decarbonization – Led by ESG Book and Quantis

We understand that companies are on a journey.

As a multi-stakeholder ecosystem, we are supporting our members, directing our efforts toward hands-on, practical support focused on implementation and operationalization.

As an industry built on beauty, emotions, excellence, craftsmanship, and innovation, we recognize the responsibility to create a legacy for future generations.

WJI 2030 had the privilege of hosting a fireside chat at Inhorgenta, featuring Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General at WJI2030 and Dr. Laurent Cartier,  Global Head of Special Initiatives at SSEF, on “Shaping the Future: Accelerating the Sustainability Journey in the Watch and Jewellery Industry”.

How can companies balance Tradition, Sustainability and Innovation creating an inclusive ecosystem that talent wants to work for? Here are the key highlights. 

The Influence of Regulations & Compliance

Even with the omnibus shaping a reform there is a shift from organizational standards to product-level compliance, including product passports and full traceability of materials from source to product. This level of transparency is essential in meeting growing consumer demands for sustainable products. An inspiring example is Aura Blockchain Consortium.

Implementation of the concept of double materiality shapes resilience

This concept recognizes a company’s impact on the environment and society is material to its financial performance. Double materiality acknowledges risks and opportunities from both financial and nonfinancial perspectives. This concept requires companies to disclose not only how sustainability issues affect them, but also how their operations and activities affect the environment and society at large. Download the white paper here on the pilot we did: https://www.wjinitiative2030.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/WJI2030-CSDDD-Guidance-Note_Final.pdf

People want Purpose – Changing Generational Priorities
The Alpha Generation is the largest generation ever with over 2 billion individuals already influencing purchasing decisions.
They are Digital natives that value personalization, authenticity, and inclusivity in the brands they choose. As they experience the nature and climate crisis firsthand, they are looking for strong values of social responsibility.

Reimagining Business Models
Circular business models are the future. This includes a focus on recycling, reuse, and refurbishing products. Companies need to explore end-of-life product management strategies, including repair, recycling, and repurposing.

Innovation & AI Shaping the Future
There is no return, we need to find the right balance and we need urgent ethics guidance on implementation.

The Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030 (WJI 2030) and ESG Book unveiled the Impact Action Journey Framework at an engaging session during the World Economic Forum in Davos. This pioneering roadmap is designed to transform sustainability in the watch and jewellery sector, helping businesses of all sizes achieve measurable progress in three critical areas: climate action, nature conservation, and social equity. 

The launch event at Goals House moderated by Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General of WJI 2030, featured a distinguished panel of speakers: Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability & Institutional Affairs Officer at Kering; Mads Twomey-Madsen, SVP Sustainability at Pandora; and Dr. Anino Emuwa, Founder of 100 Women @ Davos.

Opening remarks by leaders, including Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Assistant Secretary General, UN Global Compact, Kirsi Madi of UN Women and Raj Mehta, Director at Rosy Blue, underscored the collaborative efforts driving sustainability within the watch and jewellery industry. In keeping with the 2025 Davos theme, the discussions explored how collective intelligence can accelerate sustainability initiatives while fostering trust through enhanced transparency and accountability.

A cornerstone of the Impact Action Journey Framework is its commitment to actionable and transparent ESG reporting. Built on ESG Book’s cutting-edge platform, the framework enables continuous updates, real-time disclosure, and a unified reporting standard, future proofed for evolving regulations. It simplifies sustainability efforts for organisations offering clear pathways to address challenges and unlock opportunities. 

Key features of the Impact Action Journey Framework include: 

“The Impact Action Journey Framework embodies our commitment to support our members and the wider industry to action and report progress at every stage of their sustainability journey ” said Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director of WJI 2030. “This Framework is the result of different collaborations with many experts. We would like to extend our gratitude in particular to Boston Consulting Group, BSR, CIBJO, Deloitte, ESG Book, SouthPole, The Biodiversity Consultancy, UN Global Compact and UN Women for their invaluable input in making this possible.”

In addition, the event introduced a whitepaper on Transparency and Accountability in the Private sector, a collaboration between WJI 2030, UN Women and ESG Book. The whitepaper highlights the importance of consistent reporting to drive accountability through the WEPs, building trust, and meeting global expectations for corporate responsibility. It also maps the current state of global metrics on women’s empowerment, highlighting key gaps. The goal of this paper is to launch a cross-sector consultation on a draft reporting framework that recognizes existing global metrics while addressing these gaps. This initiative relies on cross sectoral collaboration for success. We invite business leaders, policymakers, and advocates to embark on this journey with us.