In 2013, Chopard embarked on The Journey to Sustainable Luxury, a journey driven by a sense of profound humility and by an ambitious commitment to creating a positive difference. “The jewelry industry is known for its environmental and social challenges but as a family owned business, Chopard has always striven to operate in a manner that is respectful of people and the environment. Over the years, these values have become increasingly tangible and felt by the company as a whole, leading to the formalization and implementation of our Journey into our business practices and operations. While the final destination may still lay far ahead, each action is one step closer to achieving a better future for our company, our people and the generations to come.
Our Journey to Sustainable Luxury is notably centered around our commitment to protecting and preserving the Earth from which we source our raw materials. We operate according to compliance rules and verified industry standards and practices.
Responsibility means being transparent about our business practices and ensuring that we continually improve them over time. We make sure that environmental, social and business conduct policies are communicated throughout the supply chain, from raw material suppliers to internal employees, through to the communities in which the company operates and ultimately to the consumers who purchase the final products.
Our commitment to sustainability is made possible through an overarching and well-established internal governance structure, based on strong family values, that works to ensure that ethical and responsible principles are integrated throughout the company.
The sustainability manager is in direct contact with the senior management team and works hand in hand with the various departments to deploy the corporate sustainability strategy. Our commitment to responsible business is mandated through a series of policies which include business ethics, anti-bribery/corruption and our overall compliance manual.
Our employees, from our workshop artisans who create the pieces to our sales teams who tell the stories of the pieces themselves to the end consumer, are trained in our corporate sustainability strategy and initiatives. As part of our Responsible Jewellery Council Code of Practices certification, this training structure is continually reviewed and monitored, offering additional training for staff in key risk areas such as raw material procurement.
At Chopard, it is critical for us to focus our attention and resources on the areas of greatest concern to the business and stakeholders, and on which we have the greatest opportunity of creating a positive impact. We are continuously engaging with relevant stakeholders to understand their concerns and values, as well as ensuring that we are addressing wider global issues. Because issues are constantly evolving, this is an ongoing process.
Our sustainability strategy is based on a materiality assessment in line with current international best practices. This approach allows us to strategically view key risks and opportunities, and to devise and implement programs and targets to address them. Our sustainability priorities can be broadly segmented into four categories:
Since 2010, we have been a proud member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC). By achieving and maintaining certification to the RJC Code of Practices standard set forth in 2012, we can ensure that our business operates in accordance with the requirements of the standard including, but not limited to, respect for human rights, labor rights, environmental protection and product disclosure.
The Responsible Jewellery Council has developed a common platform of standards for the jewelry supply chain and credible mechanisms for verifying responsible business practices through third-party auditing. Through this platform the RJC reinforces consumer confidence in the jewelry industry by promoting responsible practices throughout the supply chain. As a member, we are proud to promote these standards.