Wednesday, 27th September 2006 (4415 views)

The Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices (CRJP) formally adopted its Code of Practices on September 14th.

Founded last May in order to promote sustainability within the gold and diamond jewellery industry, the CRJP is comprised of members including trade associations (such as the World Gold Council), mining companies (including BHP Billiton and Newmont) and retailers (such as Bulgari SpA and Tiffany).

It works to address "ethical, social and environmental challenges" in the industry and its Code of Practices will work as a base code applicable to all members.

The code is broken down into three main sections – business ethics, social performance and environmental performance.

The former section outlaws malpractices such as bribery and demands product integrity. In terms of gold, members are compelled to "accurately disclose the fineness of the gold used in their products". It also demands that Gold Quality Marks be authorised under all applicable laws.

The social performance section requires that members adhere to certain employment practices. These include respecting the rights of workers, ensuring that health and safety conditions are rigorous and preventing child labour.

Members are also prohibited from stopping workers from associating and carrying out collective bargaining. This will help to produce fairer dealings between employees and employers.

The environmental performance section dictates that members must minimise the environmental damage caused by their operations and work towards decreasing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. They are also required to look for ways to reduce fossil fuel usage.

 

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