The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), the umbrella organization of the Antwerp diamond industry, published its second sustainability report. The report, the AWDC says, is an "integrated report that does not shy away from thorny issues such as 'reputation,' 'integrity in the diamond value chain' and 'compliance in the diamond industry.' Furthermore, with this report, the AWDC fully adhered to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."
Across the diamond industry's global value chain, more than 10 million people derive their livelihoods from diamonds. "Promoting the integrity of the value chain and the transparency of the industry are the AWDC's most important strategic priorities," says Ari Epstein, AWDC's CEO. "Transparency is not just a buzzword for the AWDC, as our report makes abundantly clear."
"We are acutely aware that the image of a product can make or break it, and that is no different for the diamond industry. Diamonds typically have a significant emotional value. A piece of diamond jewelry accompanied by a positive story for the consumer makes it that much more valuable," Epstein added.
The themes in the report are 'Integrity in the diamond value chain,' 'compliance in the diamond industry,' 'innovation and the future of Antwerp' and 'the economic impact in diamond-producing countries.'
You can download the full report here.