Las Vegas, NV, May 30, 2024 – Today at the JCK Las Vegas Sustainability Summit, the Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030 (WJI 2030) launched the Nature Roadmap, which provides a framework for businesses to act together in response to the nature and biodiversity crisis with guidance on the key steps that companies need to take – Assess, Commit, Transform, and Disclose.

The Nature Roadmap is the result of a collaborative effort between WJI 2030 members and leading industry and biodiversity experts. This comprehensive Roadmap distils information on available frameworks, leading practices, and expert knowledge, providing a clear path for companies to make meaningful contributions to biodiversity. As a living document, the Nature Roadmap will continually evolve, responding to changes in the nature-business landscape to remain relevant and effective.

Biodiversity is crucial for the watch and jewellery industry. All companies are dependent on the biological diversity, natural resources, and ecosystem services provided by nature. A clear understanding of the relationship between business, nature and biodiversity is a crucial first step. Recognizing this, WJI 2030 is committed to leading the sector in promoting sustainable practices that protect and restore nature.

Nature is in crisis. The entire world is losing biodiversity at an alarming rate and climate change is fuelling the loss of ecosystems. Risk analysis shows that businesses cannot survive without nature and its many essential services. The watch and jewellery sector is up against the same challenges. Extractive mining, chemical use in processes, water use in production steps all put our sector in a nature hot seat! Such dire analysis can make many feel at a loss: how can just one company single-handedly help invert the curve of biodiversity loss to a curve of regeneration and ensure resilience for the future?

Science and innovation can help businesses be one of the most significant contributors for generating a positive impact on nature and climate. In recent years, the need to act for nature has gained awareness and the international community has put it at the top of the list of risks and opportunities to embrace. Much hope sits in businesses’ particular capacity to help accelerate and scale systemic change for greater resilience.

WJI 2030 is here to support its members and pave the way for the wider industry, regardless of their current progress in their biodiversity journey.

Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer, Kering

All businesses, including yours, are dependent on the biological diversity, natural resources, and ecosystem services provided by nature. Our mission, aligned with the Convention on Biological Diversity’s call this year to “Be part of the plan,” is to prioritise building strong relationships with key stakeholders across industries, sharing knowledge, educating, learning from experts and taking collective action. The WJI 2030 is supporting its members and the wider industry to be part of business efforts for nature, and contributing to the transformation we need to make, from depleting to restoring nature.

Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director and Secretary General, Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030

The Nature Roadmap is designed to guide, support, and inspire organizations on their nature-positive journeys. It offers practical tools and insights to help companies integrate biodiversity into their business strategies, ultimately creating value for both their operations and the environment.

This initial version of the Nature Roadmap will undergo  further expert consultations to ensure it remains a dynamic and continually improving resource. By involving our members and biodiversity experts in this ongoing process, the WJI 2030 aims to refine and enhance the roadmap to better serve the industry’s evolving needs. The consultation form and Nature Roadmap can be accessed via the link below.

The launch of the Nature Roadmap marks a significant milestone for WJI 2030 and its members. It reflects its collective commitment to sustainability and the  vision for a future where business and nature thrive together.

For more information about the Nature Roadmap and WJI 2030’s sustainability initiatives, please visit Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 (wjinitiative2030.org) or contact together@wjinitiative2030.org.

Nature Roadmap Consultation Form

We have created the Nature Roadmap Consultation Form to assess the strengths of the Roadmap and inform areas for potential improvement. The Nature Roadmap is a living document, we appreciate your feedback.

Take part in the consultation here

Change is happening: the Initiative creates a virtuous circle to address this evolution.

WJI 2030: CHANEL has joined WJI 2030 in 2022. The Initiative is growing and gaining momentum. In your mind, what are the most important results of WJI 20230?

FRÉDÉRIC GRANGIÉ: First of all, I would like to emphasize that we are thankful for this initiative. It represents a strong signal from the industry as a whole, because we are convinced that only through collective action can we achieve the goals towards a more sustainable business model. CHANEL is fully committed to this target and our objectives are in line with the initiative’s goals. Secondly, for me, the greatest success of WJI 2030 lies in its capacity to bring major stakeholders together and show a strong governance to reach these goals. It goes beyond just big brands. It brings the whole supply chain together. It helps define fundamentals axis on the three pillars identified: building climate resilience, preserving resources, and fostering inclusiveness. It leads to implementing best practices, to measuring impacts, and monitoring progresses. Obviously, each member has the freedom to define its own pace of development, but the momentum WJI 2030 creates, and the scope of its reach, are key for everyone.

WJI 2030: Collaborations within the luxury industry are key to accelerating the necessary transformation. How is the WJI promoting these collaborations? Which ones have started bearing fruits according to CHANEL? 

FRÉDÉRIC GRANGIÉ: WJI 2030 is the perfect example to show that you can bring together key stakeholders who are competitors in the industry but have the same goals and responsibilities. Unless we act collectively, we won’t be successful. Sharing best practices, implementing measurement tools, committing to transparent reporting, together, creates a true community of like-minded companies that expands the scope of actions. When efforts, investments and visions are shared, it multiplies their efficiency. The Human Rights Navigator is a very concrete example of what the initiative does. The use of the UN Women’s Gender-Responsive Procurement Assessment Tool is another one showing the level of commitment of the members. These collaborations, inside the initiative and outside, show how crucial it is. Within the luxury goods industry, I think we’re ahead on some of today’s challenges because we create products that are intended to last and be passed down from generation to generation. Yet we need to be conscious of our impacts and strive to reduce them.

WJI 2030: Can luxury become a motor for sustainable development?

FRÉDÉRIC GRANGIÉ: We are fortunate to work in our line of business: we create products which are meant to last, which can be transmitted over generations. Luxury products are not discarded, they are re-used or re-sold. This has been part of our business model from the start. Nonetheless, we are at a turning point because we see that both regulators and consumers are demanding transparency on the impacts generated. So, a lot of initiatives that we have been implementing or investments we were making privately in the past have now become public. But the business model of luxury is sustainable in essence. The difference now is that we must embark our entire supply chain and help our partners thrive to minimize their production impacts. WJI 2030 represents an additional step in what luxury has been doing for a while now. Change is happening: the Initiative creates a virtuous circle to address this evolution.

WJI 2030 is pleased to announce the launch of a Pilot on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive – “Preparing for CSDDD: A Deep Dive on Key Topics”.

We welcome you to watch an Introductory Video from Mr. Didier Reynders, EU Commissioner of Justice, where he stresses the importance of commitment to responsible corporate governance and due diligence, and the opportunity for companies to step up before the Directive is in place. Collaborative action can create a bridge between policy and practice on the ground. 

What will the Pilot look at?

• Interlinkages between CSDDD and CSRD
• Requirements for in scope companies for human rights due diligence
• Requirements for in scope companies for environmental due diligence
• Conducting holistic due diligence
• Conducting double materiality assessment to support due diligence
• Identify and assess implications for upstream & downstream value chain
• Reflect on challenges, barriers and opportunities for companies and their value chain
• Testing and building on the WJI 2030 Human Rights Navigator
• How we can develop tools and resources for the watch & Jewellery supply chain including a supplier engagement process

What are the key objectives?

• Support companies in their implementation of effective Human Rights (and environmental) Due Diligence
• Lead the industry forward through proactive preparation for upcoming legislation
• Build on the Human Rights Navigator and focus on practical implementation through examples and best practice
• Address key challenges members are likely to face in operationalizing due diligence principles

What is the main outcome? We will be developing an open-source case study on implementation of the upcoming regulation, in the watch & Jewellery industry, and bring every participant along the journey of learning, on the operationalisation of the new legislation.

Watch the full Video Here.

On the 10th of April, WJI 2030 held a C-Driven panel at Watches and Wonders and announced the launch of its second annual Stakeholder Report – Report on Progress 2023 – 2024.

Under the moderation of Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General of WJI 2030, an esteemed C-Suite panel of executives took the stage on the topic “Up to 2030: Why Collective Action Matters.” The panel included Cyrille Vigneron, President & CEO of Cartier; Dr Anino Emuwa , Founder of 100 Women @ Davos; Frederic Grangie, CEO of CHANEL Watches & Jewellery; and Dr. Daniel Klier, Advisor to the ESG Committee at WJI 2030.

Over the past year, we’ve continued to strengthen our engagement with key stakeholders while embarking on a journey dedicated to action, collaboration, impact, and transparency. The Stakeholder Report showcases collective progress of the Initiative and our Members in accelerating the pathway on the three strategic pillars – climate resilience, preserving resources and fostering inclusiveness.

Key takeaways from this morning’s panel are that:

• We need to work together to protect the environment and advocate for social justice. This is an obligation. Collective action is mandatory, there is no other way.
• We are in an industry that makes beautiful creations that are meant to last forever. This cannot be about only the big players but making sure the big brands can come together and support the smaller company players. We need to measure and KPIs are critical.
  • There is currently a competition for talent. The worlds diverse talent needs to be tapped into. Youth demo is becoming more important in this industry. It’s not only the right thing to do, the numbers show it. Diverse leadership brings better decision making and innovation. Culture matters.
• We need accountability. Transparency matters, and it’s a journey. Reporting is not about storytelling. It is about collecting relevant data to show progress over time in an honest way. It’s about being fit for purpose in an ever-evolving regulatory landscape. Reporting accomplishes the following: it levels the playing field, creates consistency, and increases pace.
• We see great progress with large companies leading the way as they have the capacity to do so. But to reach our collective goals by 2030 we need to bring suppliers onboard. It is about educating and building capacity across the value chain.

As we acknowledge the milestones, we’ve collectively made this year, we remain humble and are committed to support our members on the implementation of the minimum commitments. All the tools and materials we are building will ultimately become open source for the wider industry.

Watch the Replay

Geneva, 10th April, 2024 – The Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 (WJI 2030) hosted a C-Driven panel at Watches & Wonders to launch its second annual Stakeholder Report – Report on Progress 2023 – 2024.

Under the moderation of Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General of WJI 2030, an esteemed C-Suite panel of executives took the stage on the topic Up to 2030: Why Collective Action Matters. The panel included Cyrille Vigneron, President & CEO of Cartier SA; Dr. Anino Emuwa, Founder of 100 Women @ Davos; Frédéric Grangié, CEO of Chanel Watches & Jewellery; and Dr. Daniel Klier, Advisor to the ESG Committee at WJI 2030.

Over the past year, WJI 2030 has continued to strengthen its engagement with key stakeholders while embarking on a journey dedicated to action, collaboration, impact, and transparency. The Annual Progress Report showcases progress of the Initiative and its Members in accelerating the pathway on the three strategic pillars – climate resilience, preserving resources and fostering inclusiveness.

• Under Pillar 1 Climate Resilience, WJI 2030 has built member capacity on setting science based targets through face-to-face workshops, a series of webinars, resources and guidance materials on the science based target journey, and launched the SBTi for SMEs training module with help desk support with experts. Looking back at 2023, significant progress has been made by members in their climate resilience journey, with 48% of Maison and Partner members meeting the minimum commitment on Climate Resilience to sign and submit the Science Based Targets initiatives (SBTi) commitment letter. Acknowledging that SMEs require special support and guidance, we are proud to have launched the SME Solutions Lab in collaboration with United Nations Global Compact.
• Under Pillar 2 Preserving Resources, WJI 2030 acknowledges that this topic is challenging for many of its members, and therefore additional capacity has been invested through expert helpdesk sessions, face-to-face workshops, and webinars, to enable and activate companies on their nature journey. The Nature Primer was launched to guide members on first concrete actions and to build members’ awareness and familiarity with new global goals for nature, frameworks, and regulations – and begin to make connections to their business. Currently, on the commitment of setting up a Nature Roadmap for their company commensurate to their level of ambition and capabilities, less than one third (29%) of Maison and Partner members have achieved this goal whereas the remaining members (71%) are in progress or just getting started – with 22% yet to get started. As a result, WJI 2030 has activated the Nature Roadmap and Nature Playbook to be launched in 2024, and will provide an action pathway aligned with recognised global goals and frameworks, including the work of Business for Nature, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Capitals Coalition, World Economic Forum, and the overarching ACT-D (assess, commit, transform, disclose) model, alongside the guidance and methodologies under development for the Science Based Targets for Nature (STBN), the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), and new reporting standards and regulations such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Global Reporting Initiative’s updated Biodiversity Standard.
• Under Pillar 3, Fostering Inclusiveness, the focus this year has been on building capacity in the operationalisation of Human Rights Due Diligence, Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) implementation, and an introduction to Artisanal and Small Scale Mining Engagement. A Human Rights Navigator Tool has been developed in December 2023, and the first phase of a Gender Responsive Procurement (GRP) pilot in collaboration with UN Women was completed, and a case study with 9 leading members at the UN General Assembly in September 2023 was published.
• Transparency and disclosure is important. In partnership with ESG Book, WJI 2030 has diligently worked over 12 months building a reporting framework aligned with the new regulations and best practices in ESG Reporting. WJI 2030 and ESG Book identified key topics aligned with WJI 2030 commitments across dominant frameworks and standards, drafted a framework with a distribution of KPIs across three pillars, validated select KPIs with internal and external stakeholders, and developed an accountability mechanism for reporting governance. Moving forward, a testing period with members will be launched, enabling organisations to interact with the framework and trial a test disclosure on ESG Book.

As WJI 2030 acknowledges these milestones, they remain humble and are committed to support their members on the implementation of the minimum commitments. All the work that is being developed will ultimately become open source, for the wider industry and beyond. 

Cyrille Vigneron, President & CEO, Cartier SA, “No one has the power to change everything alone. Together we have a chance. We must not be discouraged by current setbacks. It just means we need to work harder and keep moving forward.”

Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability & Institutional Affairs Officer, Kering, “To succeed, it is vital that the entire supply chain, and your entire ecosystems are fully engaged. Our responsibility is not only to help our suppliers assess their impacts, but also to invest with them in doing so. Once more, the collective approach is key. WJI 2030 can help both on the strategic side and on the implementation of very concrete tools for immediate actions.”

Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director and Secretary General, WJI 2030 “As WJI 2030 navigates this journey, we look forward to continue to work with the wider industry on smart collaborations. The consumer deserves trust and integrity and only together can we deliver towards this promise. We thank our Board, Members, Partners, and Key Stakeholders for supporting us in empowering this change.”

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Last week, we were pleased to meet with our members, partners and team at the fifth WJI 2030 Member Workshop, hosted by Cartier in Paris, France. We thank our members and partners for bringing their drive for accelerated action to our sessions and making this workshop engaging and practical. The workshop focused on topical deep-dives into the core pillars of WJI 2030: Climate Resilience, Nature, and Inclusion.

We examined current actions, progress, and concrete next steps within each pillar, exploring existing workstreams and introducing new topics such as life cycle assessment and circularity, living wage, and livelihoods. While we acknowledge the challenges ahead, we are encouraged by the commitment and progress demonstrated by our members. As reflected in the African proverb shared by Paul Polman at the WJI 2030 panel at ChangeNOW, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

Every action taken by our members contributes to our collective impact. Key takeaways from the workshop included interest in developing a Living Wage Learning Path, emphasizing both theoretical understanding and practical implementation under Pillar 3: Inclusiveness. Breakout groups on Pillar 1: Climate, addressed topics such as calculating carbon footprint and promoting circularity. Under Pillar 3: Preserving Resources, challenges were discussed regarding integrating a nature strategy into day-to-day operations, and existing efforts in other pillars were explored as they can serve as a foundation for assessing biodiversity materiality and collating relevant data while the Nature Roadmap and Playbook are in development. Members were also encouraged to participate in pilots aligned with their sustainability ambitions, including inclusive employment and collaborative initiatives such as CSDDD.

As we reflect on the insights gained and discussions held during the workshop, we are energized to continue the momentum towards accelerated action in our workstreams. Collaboration, shared learning, and transparency remain central to our collective efforts as we strive to make scalable impact.

Special appreciation goes to Boston Consulting Group, BSR, The Biodiversity Consultancy, Deloitte, ESG Book, and Quantis for sharing their expertise and enriching our workshop discussions and break out sessions.

We extend our appreciation to all participants for their dedication and look forward to continuing to work together toward our ambitious goals and collective action to build climate resilience, preserve resources, and foster inclusiveness. Together, we empower the change.