RJC Joins United Nations Sustainability Platform

RAPAPORT... The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) has joined a United Nations forum that aims to accelerate the implementation of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs).As a member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) SDG Ambition Platform, the RJC will help its 1,400 member companies step up their sustainability efforts and set targets to meet specific benchmarks, it said last week. The organization also hopes to create a positive impact on the communities where its companies operate."By engaging hundreds of companies across the world, this initiative is mobilizing a truly global movement of responsible enterprises," said Sanda Ojiambo, CEO of UNGC. "This will accelerate progress towards embedding sustainability into business strategies and operations - which will benefit society as well as business."The RJC has participated in the UNGC since 2009. Separately, the group created a task force last month comprising 26 industry leaders to help benchmark the progress of its members in implementing the SDGs."Sixteen years ago, RJC had a vision to transform the jewelry and watch industry to be more responsible and sustainable," said RJC executive director Iris Van der Veken. "We began by uniting the industry behind a common set of standards, and now we are uniting the industry again as we up our ambition: from 'do no harm' to 'do good.'This partnership reflects our long-held vision of inclusion and transparency."Image: A jewelry display case. (Shutterstock)