Embedding sustainability in a heritage brand
By Benjamin Teisseire

Sustainability has become a key element for all brands wishing to remain relevant and resilient in our changing world. It takes vision and courage to embed it in the core values of a brand’s identity, particularly in the luxury industry where product quality, craftsmanship and heritage often take center stage. Boucheron, part of the Kering group pioneering ESG transformation, has been quietly integrating sustainability in its business model. The Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 sat down with Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, CEO of the famed jewellery brand since 2015, to talk about governance, accountability and creating value through sustainability.

Why is sustainability personally meaningful to you, and how does it influence your leadership as CEO of a heritage jewellery brand?

Hélène Poulit-Duquesne: Even though I grew up on the concrete, I feel deeply connected to nature. It is my greatest source of inspiration – I regularly recharge outdoors, especially in Normandy. The natural world gives me fresh ideas, perspective, and renewed energy, and it reminds me how precious our environment is and how we must protect it for the generations to come. Therefore, it feels natural for me, as CEO, to infuse sustainability across all departments at Boucheron. I believe true progress happens when we challenge the status quo, and that’s the leadership mindset I try to instill in my teams. A great example of this is our “No pack is the new pack” initiative: by adopting an eco‑design approach and an innovative spirit, we optimized every step of its life cycle – cutting weight by four times compared to the previous version, reducing formats from 12 to 7, and streamlining from 11 components to only 2, both recyclable and natural.

Indeed, it appears effective governance is crucial in advancing sustainability. How have you structured governance within Boucheron to ensure accountability and long-term ESG success?

At Boucheron, sustainability is at the core of our business strategy. I designed a top and bottom-up governance with a dedicated team directly reporting to me. The major challenge is to embed sustainability across all departments. Central to this framework is the Sustainability Committee, a transversal team composed of sustainability leads from various departments from Operations to Media through Architecture Department. This committee plays a critical role in setting priorities, driving change, and fostering collaboration across the Maison. This governance upholds our commitments and ensures continuous monitoring of our progress. In addition, we bring together the Executive Committee and Sustainability Committee to align strategies, share insights, and reinforce collective actions during our annual seminar. The objective is to look forward, identify our next challenges, and design our vision to drive changes.

In what ways does a strong commitment to sustainability create value for your company – both strategically and operationally?

I firmly believe that sustainability is not just a trend or something strategic. It should not be a differentiator – but more of a license to operate. Actually, sustainability is at the heart of the High Jewelry industry – no one throws a diamond ring away, and our jewelry is crafted for eternity and passed down through generations. I feel we have a duty toward those future generations to ensure our jewelry is made in a way that contributes to building a better tomorrow. 

What are Boucheron’s key sustainability objectives for the short, medium, and long term – specifically for 2025, 2030, and 2050?

In 2022, we unveiled our Precious for the Future strategy with some targets at the end of 2025. Regarding the ‘Where’ pillar – our raw materials – the objective was to achieve 100% traceability for key raw materials of our jewelry line. As for today, one of our highlights is that we achieved traceability for round center diamonds between 0,20 and 1 carat for bridal collections. Regarding the ‘How’ pillar – the objective is to reduce the environmental and carbon footprint of our operations. One fulfillment is that we eliminated single-use plastic consumer-facing packaging. 

And finally, for the ‘Who’ pillar – our people-, one of our objectives is to constantly emphasize gender parity and equal opportunities. In 2024, we launched our first Women in Luxury Mentoring program at Boucheron, because I firmly believe that supporting women’s advancement in our industry requires concrete action, not just intentions. For longer term, we’re currently working on our next plan and definition of our objectives. 

How do initiatives like the Kering Precious Metals Platform support for ASM (Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining), regenerative nature-based programs, and education funding contribute to your sustainability mission?

Thanks to Kering, we are proud of the initiative launched by the Group in 2016. Each year, we donate a premium contribution from our gold purchases to support a wide variety of projects with environmental and social ambition. At the end of the journey, the ambition is to support impactful project to thrive sustainable practices in ASM to encourage and support them in their sustainability journey. Nature project linked to mining activities are spotted by the fund and contribute directly to our environment commitment. We are proud of the reforestation project in French Guiana. We are committed with Kering and its Maisons for this long-term project to restore 100% of the gold mining sites with concrete results. Since 2018, over 100 hectares of land have been restored, and more than 227,000 trees have been planted. The Boucheron Fund for Education is a special side project, disconnected of our sustainability strategy, this is our philanthropic commitment to support the development of communities along our value chain.

Kering and Boucheron are recognized leaders in ESG, especially in advancing gender equality. Why is women’s empowerment a priority for you and for your organization?

At Boucheron, supporting women is an important value and commitment. I think that having two women taking the lead in running the Maison allows for a more empathetic leadership. Both Claire and I make it a priority to be ourselves and stick to our values while working. We are in an industry that naturally attracts female talent – the real challenge is promoting them to leading positions. Gender parity is a reality at Boucheron: our Executive Committee is 63% women, 53% of our directors, and 68% of our managers. Supporting women goes beyond words: in 2020, we established our “Precious People” Inclusion & Diversity committee, and we offer concrete programs, like our Baby Leave policy and inclusive leadership training. In 2024, we also launched our “Women in Luxury Mentoring Program”, dedicated to nurturing female talents thanks to female mentors, in which I was personally involved. In 2025, we opened it to male mentors as well. 

Despite progress, female representation at the CEO level in the jewellery industry remains limited. What steps do you believe are necessary to accelerate gender parity in leadership?

This topic requires a comprehensive approach. First, we need to implement HR policies that actively support women’s advancement. We must train our teams to recognize and eliminate unconscious bias in hiring and promotion decisions. But what I find particularly crucial – and this comes from my personal experience – is the role that male leaders can play as advocates and mentors for women. I am a perfect example of this: throughout my career, I’ve had male mentors who believed in me and actively supported my progression to leadership positions. We need everyone to be involved, including men to step up as ambassadors for women’s advancement. Promoting women to leadership positions should be a natural part of how our industry operates, not just an initiative or a quota to fulfill.

What motivated Boucheron to join WJI2030, and how does this collaboration enhance your sustainability strategy? 

I believe that sustainability is a shared journey, achieved through collaboration with our peers and industry stakeholders. Boucheron is actively engaged in the WJI2030 with an active contribution to create a common statement for the industry.  We actively engage in collective initiatives to drive meaningful change across the jewelry sector. We are aware that change will come with common effort and commitment. In addition, the sector needs to be more transparent. 

Boucheron is actively contributing to the WJI2030 Circularity Whitepaper. Why is this work important, and how are you supporting it?

We are actively contributing to the WJI2030 Circularity Whitepaper to share our experience on our new packaging, a long-term project – and it is as well an opportunity to learn from our peers. We decide to join our effort with the WJI2030 to address common issues. We know that circularity is a long-term ambition with a learning path. That is why joining our efforts to the WJI2030 is important to us to share our learnings.  

What role do circularity and innovation play in Boucheron’s business model, and how are these principles embedded into your strategic roadmap?

At Boucheron, innovation has been in our DNA since 1858 – therefore, if we want to respect the past, we must continue to innovate. Claire and I share the same vision of our visionary founder Frédéric Boucheron: to constantly push the boundaries of our industry. Regarding circularity, this principle presents an opportunity to push the limits of traditional luxury standards and embrace sustainable innovation. We are inspired by Kering’s ambition to transition from a linear “take-make-waste” model to a circular economy. Circularity allows us to rethink how we produce and use resources, as well as how we extend the lifespan of Boucheron creations. A great example of when circularity and innovation meet is Jack Ultime de Boucheron, an innovative capsule unveiled in 2022. We imagined jewelry creations composed of Cofalit, a final material made of industrial waste, that we made precious thanks to our jewelry know-how.

Circular Economy in Watchmaking
By Benjamin Teisseire

ID Genève is a young watch brand launched by crowdfunding in 2020. The circular economy approach is the founding principle for the brand. In 2023, they raised 2 millions CHF and environmental activist and famed actor Leonardo DiCaprio invested in the company. They have a long-term vision of what they would like the luxury industry to promote: to become a force for good, a driver of the needed business model transformation that our world’s challenges require. The Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 met with Nicolas Freudiger, CEO and co-founder, to share his views on circularity and luxury’s power to address these issues. 

When you launched your brand with your two school friends, Singal Depery and Cédric Mulhauser, in 2020 did you already have circular economy in mind? Why? 

Nicolas Freudiger: When we launched in December 2020, our first collection — probably the most iconic to date— was named Circular, so it embodied from scratch our vision. When I quit my job at a soft drink company in Zurich, I took on a class on circularity and realized it was a great opportunity to create value with what is already available, which some people call « stock above ground ». Even with waste, which I refer to as « surplus » or resource. This is when we decided to map out the watchmaking ecosystem around us to understand the impacts of each elements of the value chain. From there, we choose circularity. Our approach is to limit the input of new, virgin material and maintain a circular flow of resources including recovery, reprocessing and/or recycling, the latter being the last resort. 

What role does innovation play in your business model? 

When we speak of sustainable luxury, there is often a trade-off between desirability and circularity. Innovation plays a great part in reducing this trade-off because it is a trigger to make it more interesting in the human psyche. It adds to desirability. This is why it is very important to build new circular business models that thrive to increase this. We see ID Genève as a platform for climate solutions. A lot comes from eco-innovation. I mean innovation that is respectful of the environment, that does not increase what we take from nature. In the future, I hope every innovation will be apprehended this way. It is far from being the case today. Innovation should be here to solve climate-related problems, first and foremost. Luxury is in a great position to embody this approach. It has the power to inspire and drive the business’s transformation. 

Circular economy is based on eco-design, minimizing environmental impact from the onset of production. But it also engulfs the complete life cycle of the products. What is ID Genève’s cradle to cradle approach? 

From the very start of the company, we included our RE platform. It is based on three pillars. The first is the traditional maintenance of your watch, to have it repaired when needed. Second comes the modular aspect of it. Beyond changing straps, we offer changing other elements like the bezel, the dial, inserts on the side to extend the desirability of the watch so that people will wear it longer. The third pillar is a cash back option. The owner can decide to sell it back to the community at a fair price, then ID Genève certifies it « RE » and offers it on its platform. We actually sold our first watch this way earlier this year. And it sold at the same retail price as a new watch, because we include the cost of refurbishing. It does not get more circular than that. It appeals a lot to our community.  

Do you envision other consumption models, like renting for example, as well?  

We are exploring this because it is important that we change the public’s view on these new consumption models. Is it right for the luxury industry? We don’t know yet. It could be linked to an overall experience when renting a room in a hotel or a car that would include a watch to go with. It needs to be easy. There is definitely a path to explore. 

ID Genève is a small company, selling less than 1’000 watches a year. Still, you published your first impact report in 2025. Why is it important for you? 

The industry has been there for centuries, so we have a very humble approach. We just released our first impact report earlier this year. We first try to understand our products, their impacts, where we can make a difference. As a young brand, we have a small team, our footprint is limited but our convictions are big and we want to be very transparent. So we disclose all our impacts on our first three collections Circular 1, Circular S and Circular C. At this point, 8.6% of what we use comes from extracted « virgin » materials. Our aim is to tend towards zero. We realize that circularity is a journey that takes commitment and perseverance. We have been overwhelmed by the response of the people out there rooting for us based on our goals and authentic disclosure. So yes, we are very proud to have published our first impact report this year. 

Obviously, being only five year-old, we have other priority, one being to survive! But it makes sense to report in a non-compliance way. It is also part of how we tell our story of who we are and our future intentions. We like our tagline « Rebels With A Cause ». We want to create a movement that supports and inspires the industry. 

There are five pillars on which we are building this movement. The first one is Dare. We need to be daring to push our vision. The second is Sharing. It is not about reinventing the wheel, but about co-creation. This is where the added value to the industry will stem from. Third is Owning. Owning your decisions, taking responsibility for them, being accountable. It is about transparency, traceability for the public. Four is about Preserving, minimizing our impacts and this is where circularity is key. It is the biggest challenge for the generations to come. Last but not least, Speak Up, we need to be advocates of the greater cause, we need to be unafraid of speaking up and voicing our concerns and what we have to do to preserve the world for future generations. We want the industry to inspire the change needed and promote credible alternatives to existing business models. 

Doing all this work, we also see clearly that we cannot do it alone, that collaborations are essential. 

Indeed collaborations seem to be inevitable if companies are to transition to a more sustainable business model. What is your view on the topic? Are you joining some of them, like the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030? 

I fully agree and our second pillar Sharing is all about that. We talk to a lot of brands and NGOs since our very beginning. I am thankful to the Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030 and admire the work they are doing. I have learned a lot through their events and open assets. They have created a great learning community of small and big companies. Likewise, through more than 10 active collaborations, we develop new narratives for the watchmaking industry. We reinvest 50% of our revenue into those partnerships, thus amplifying their impact. We are an active member of the WE, the Watchmaking Ecodesign consortium. This initiative focuses on developing environmental knowledge specific to the Swiss watchmaking industry, providing the foundation for more sustainable practices. The more companies join these types of initiatives, the better we will advance on this journey to a more sustainable business model. The solution really lies in creating a community intelligence, sharing data, learning from each other. Now is the time to act. It does challenge the industry secretive mindset and it is easier for a newcomer like us to choose this path, but the hope is that it triggers change throughout the industry and beyond. The WJI2030 also plays an important role in nurturing newcomers that can challenge and inspire the industry. 

Your business model is different than standard, purely financial, ones. How do you evaluate your performance? What are the KPIs you use? 

To go into very operational considerations, we have five main objectives per quarter. Some financial ones, others not financial at all. For example, we believe strongly in the importance of voicing our message and convictions, so we monitor the visibility of our innovative collaborations. Today 60% of them are featured on our partners’ website. We also want to invest 50% of our revenues in collaborations with partners. We collect the environmental data of all our supply chain. We also monitor the percentage of extracted material in our production to minimize it. At this point we have achieved 8.6%, 

taking into account the watches, the packaging and merchandising. We also track our use of renewable energies, as well as the quantity of plastic we use. We measure the distance between our suppliers and our production site. We also determine the percentage of vegan products we use which minimizes our biodiversity footprint. Basically, we measure everything we can to minimize our impacts. This is a huge part of evaluating our performance to be aligned with our convictions and transparent with our claims. 

With everything that you are doing, how would you define your company’s purpose today and how do you see ID Genève’s future? 

My personal purpose is to be a good human being. Business wise, we started as ID watch, now we are ID Genève and the goal is to become ID as a brand. Our aim is to place the luxury industry at the center of the ecological transition. It is very ambitious. We envision a world where every laboratory in the luxury industry is actually working on tackling environmental issues. The idea is to use luxury’s power of inspiration for the good of the world. This is our ambition for ID Genève and it goes further than just a watch brand. Our next chapter of A series investment that we will launch before the end of the year will be based on this long term vision. We want to create a Lab that will be a circular innovation hub in Geneva by the end of 2025. It is the start of the next phase for us.

Climate Week 2025 & UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2025

Scaling Sustainability Through Action, Innovation, and Inclusiveness

New York, September 2025

The Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 (WJI 2030) attended the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2025 and Climate Week NYC in New York.

Key Takeaways from Climate Week 2025:

Highlights for WJI 2030:

1.UN Private Sector Forum “Collective Investments for a Resilient Future”

WJI 2030 took part in the UN Private Sector Forum, hosted by the United Nations Global Compact on behalf of the UN Secretary-General.

In a world shaped by climate disruption, technological transformation, and rising geopolitical tensions, this high-level Forum reaffirmed the need for stronger collaboration between business and the multilateral system to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Central to the dialogue was the Sustainable Finance Roadmap, currently being developed by the UN Global Compact at the request of the Secretary-General. The roadmap provides clear, actionable strategies to drive investment toward the SDGs, particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), with a focus on climate adaptation, food systems, and decent work.

2. WJI 2030 joins the UNGC Sustainable Procurement Coalition

At the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit, WJI 2030 announced its participation in the UNGC Coalition for Sustainable Procurement – a global initiative bringing together procurement thought leaders and businesses to transform value chains through responsible sourcing.

The Coalition’s mission is clear: embed sustainability into procurement practices through collective action, ensuring ethical, resilient, and regenerative supply chains that benefit people, planet, and business.

WJI 2030 emphasized the critical role of procurement in driving industry-wide transformation: systemic change cannot depend on consumers paying a premium. Instead, sustainable choices must become profitable, scalable, and integrated across every business function.

WJI 2030 was featured in the UN Global Compact publication “Procurement: A Catalyst for Sustainable Growth and Resilience | UN Global Compact” within the case study “Gender-Responsive Procurement Pilot Programme.” The piece highlights WJI 2030’s pioneering Gender-Responsive Procurement (GRP) pilot — the first-ever application of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) GRP Assessment Tool within a specific industry, namely the watch and jewellery supply chain. 

3. WJI 2030 featured in UN Women’s Flagship Report: “Unfinished Business”

At UN Women Headquarters, the new Flagship Report on the Role and Impact of the Private Sector in Advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment was launched under the theme “Unfinished Business: Private Sector and Gender Equality.”

The message was unequivocal: gender equality remains the unfinished business of our time, and the private sector must accelerate measurable change.

We are proud that WJI 2030 was featured as a case study in this publication, recognizing our ongoing work on Gender-Responsive Procurement – developed together with our members and partners.

Key findings from the report underscore the urgency of collective action:

WJI 2030’s recognition in this global report reinforces the initiative’s leadership in linking procurement, inclusivity, and sustainability – turning commitments into action.

What’s next?

WJI 2030 will be showcased in UNGC Case Study portal with its work on Nature: “Fostering Nature and Inclusiveness”

As part of the UN Global Compact’s case study portal,  WJI 2030 will be featured with its work on “Fostering Nature and Inclusiveness: Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 Roadmap for a Resilient Industry.”

The case study demonstrates how nature-positive strategies and inclusive business models can coexist – ensuring the sector contributes to biodiversity restoration while empowering communities and artisans along the supply chain. It highlights how WJI 2030 members are already integrating nature-based metrics, promoting transparency, and supporting regenerative sourcing – paving the way for an industry that is both sustainable and equitable. From the UNGC Leaders Summit to the UN Women Forum, WJI 2030’s presence in New York underscored a shared vision: transformation requires collective leadership. As the world accelerates toward 2030, WJI 2030 stands ready to lead by example – in a collaborative approach, fostering nature, inclusiveness, and resilience across the value chain.

It was a great honour to be at the Grand Palais in Paris today, for the ChangeNOW Summit 2025, together with thousands of changemakers from around the world.

WJI 2030 hosted a fireside chat on “Driving the Gender Agenda: The Business Case”, an inspiring conversation with Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer, Kering, Charlotte Saint-Arroman, Executive Director, ONU Femmes France, Dr Anino Emuwa, Managing Director, Founder, 100 Davos Women, Julien Rivals, Global Sustainability A&A Leader, Deloitte, Garance Aulagne, Head of Global Engagement, Women for Change Lead, ChangeNOW.

As moderator, Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General of WJI 2030, brought to the fore a critical conversation on why gender inclusiveness is not just a moral imperative — it’s a business one.

At WJI 2030, we believe fostering inclusiveness is central to building fairer, future-ready companies. There is a strong business case for embedding gender equality into corporate strategy — diverse and inclusive companies consistently outperform their peers in profitability, productivity, and long-term growth.

Earlier this year, WJI 2030 launched a Whitepaper at the World Economic Forum in Davos, calling for greater accountability and transparency through a new reporting framework aligned with the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). This initiative spans the workplace, marketplace, and community, and is a first step toward closing global data and reporting gaps in gender equity.

Let’s stay the course. Let’s drive gender equality not as a checkbox, but as a cornerstone of sustainability, resilience, and growth.

On 3 April 2025, WJI 2030 was pleased to host a panel discussion at Watches & Wonders, “Navigating the Evolving Regulatory and Stakeholder Expectations in the Watch Industry”.

We were honoured to have a distinguished group of experts and industry leaders, sharing valuable insights on the current status and future of the watch industry. Esteemed panelists included Ilaria Resta, CEO of Audemars Piguet; Cyrille Vigneron, Chairman of Cartier Culture & Philanthropy and WJI 2030 Co-Chair; Dr. Anino Emuwa, Managing Director and Founder of 100 Women @ Davos; Justin Fitzpatrick, CEO of ESG Book; Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General, WJI 2030 (moderator).

The discussion highlighted the importance of collective action and the progress made by WJI 2030 today. It further emphasized the critical role of capacity building on material topics for the industry. The panelists shared about the importance of having an open multi-stakeholder platform to support the industry in educating on topics connected to climate resilience, preserving resources, and fostering inclusiveness. Examples were shared on how WJI 2030 supports its members on individual journeys aligned with the regulatory frameworks, while collaborating on projects that deliver value for the industry and beyond.

The Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030 also launched its 2024/2025 Stakeholder Report Towards Collective Action. The report highlights the achievements and progress made by WJI 2030 together with its members, partners and stakeholders. Throughout 2024, WJI 2030 has empowered companies of all sizes and maturity levels to take meaningful actions towards three pillars: climate resilience, preserving resources, and fostering inclusiveness.

WJI 2030 has empowered companies of all sizes and maturity levels through:

Let’s continue the conversation and work towards a more resilient and inclusive future for the watch industry and beyond.

Geneva, Switzerland, 2 April, 2025 – The Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030 (WJI 2030) announces the launch of its 2024/2025 Stakeholder Report Towards Collective Action at Watches and Wonders Geneva. The report highlights the collective action, achievements, and progress made by WJI 2030 together with its members and partners.

As the industry continues to navigate an increasingly complex and evolving regulatory and stakeholder landscape, WJI 2030’s mission and ambition remains unchanged. WJI 2030 provides an open multi-stakeholder platform to improve the understanding of topics, connected to climate resilience, preserving resources, and fostering inclusiveness. It defines individual journeys aligned with the regulatory frameworks, while collaborating on projects that deliver value for the industry and beyond.

Building Business Resilience through Collaboration

 “We are committed to continuing our efforts to support all businesses and the wider industry,” said Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General of WJI 2030. “We see three important pathways ahead, focused on education, action and accountability. The launch of our Action Framework reflects this vision. Collaboration, diverse perspectives, and collective action are the keys to meaningful impact. As we reflect on another year, we are happy to share what has been achieved and optimistic about what’s ahead.”

Throughout 2024, WJI 2030 has empowered members of all sizes and maturity levels, to take meaningful actions towards the three pillars. Key initiatives like the SBTi program for SMEs and the Climate Navigator helped companies balance growth with emissions reductions. The launch of the Nature Roadmap provided clear guidelines for tackling the pressing nature and biodiversity crisis, and it’s through our Nature Action Playbook that we aim to support companies understand their nature dependencies and operationalise their nature strategies. A cornerstone of WJI 2030’s work has been its collaboration with UN Women, which has catalysed commitments to women’s empowerment and gender equality across the industry. This partnership has driven significant progress in aligning companies with the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), ensuring that gender equality is integrated into business models and corporate culture. Today, 50 of WJI 2030 member companies have signed the WEPs and integrated the framework has part of their work fostering inclusiveness.

In January 2025, the WJI 2030 introduced the Impact Action Journey Framework at the World Economic Forum in Davos. This digital framework serves as a structured system to guide companies in their efforts toward climate resilience, resource preservation, and fostering inclusiveness. It is a practical tool for accountability, enabling companies to measure and track their progress in creating tangible, measurable impact. We need to develop solutions that build capacity and foster accountability.

The Path Forward: Taking Action

This Stakeholder Report not only recognises the steps taken to date but also outlines the path forward for WJI 2030. The year ahead will be focused on scaling up actions, and providing clear, practical guidance to support companies in operationalizing new and ongoing legislative frameworks. In an era where brand integrity and talent attraction are more critical than ever, reinforcing responsible business practices is a business imperative.

For a detailed overview of our progress and the actions taken, we invite you to read the full 2024/2025 Stakeholder Report.

To access the full report, please click here.

For more information, please contact: mia.benedettini@wjinitiative2030.org

March 27, 2025

On March 26th and 27th, 2025, the WJI 2030 gathered in Antwerp with our members and strategic partners for the 7th workshop, hosted by Rosy Blue. Over 80 participants from member companies and partner organisations attended this workshop. 

These two full-day session were filled with insightful discussions on the evolving role of companies and the actions that are required of them to strengthen business resilience, foster innovation, and build long-term value. 

It was an incredible opportunity for members and partners to come together, learn, and engage on material topics relevant for our industry, in today’s ever-evolving regulatory and stakeholder landscape. 

On Day 1, we focused on CSRD with an in-depth workshop, led by Deloitte and ESG Book.

On Day 2, we held several interactive and engaging sessions:

– Collective Supply Chain Mapping: Managing Risk & Building Suppliers’ Capacity – Led by BSR and LRQA
– Strengthening Accountability on Gender as the Business Case – Led by ESG Book and UN Women
– Water Stewardship – Led by Quantis
– Building a Nature Roadmap – Led by The Biodiversity Consultancy
– Decarbonization – Led by ESG Book and Quantis

We understand that companies are on a journey.

As a multi-stakeholder ecosystem, we are supporting our members, directing our efforts toward hands-on, practical support focused on implementation and operationalization.

As an industry built on beauty, emotions, excellence, craftsmanship, and innovation, we recognize the responsibility to create a legacy for future generations.

WJI 2030 had the privilege of hosting a fireside chat at Inhorgenta, featuring Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General at WJI2030 and Dr. Laurent Cartier,  Global Head of Special Initiatives at SSEF, on “Shaping the Future: Accelerating the Sustainability Journey in the Watch and Jewellery Industry”.

How can companies balance Tradition, Sustainability and Innovation creating an inclusive ecosystem that talent wants to work for? Here are the key highlights. 

The Influence of Regulations & Compliance

Even with the omnibus shaping a reform there is a shift from organizational standards to product-level compliance, including product passports and full traceability of materials from source to product. This level of transparency is essential in meeting growing consumer demands for sustainable products. An inspiring example is Aura Blockchain Consortium.

Implementation of the concept of double materiality shapes resilience

This concept recognizes a company’s impact on the environment and society is material to its financial performance. Double materiality acknowledges risks and opportunities from both financial and nonfinancial perspectives. This concept requires companies to disclose not only how sustainability issues affect them, but also how their operations and activities affect the environment and society at large. Download the white paper here on the pilot we did: https://wji.darwinstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/WJI2030-CSDDD-Guidance-Note_Final.pdf

People want Purpose – Changing Generational Priorities
The Alpha Generation is the largest generation ever with over 2 billion individuals already influencing purchasing decisions.
They are Digital natives that value personalization, authenticity, and inclusivity in the brands they choose. As they experience the nature and climate crisis firsthand, they are looking for strong values of social responsibility.

Reimagining Business Models
Circular business models are the future. This includes a focus on recycling, reuse, and refurbishing products. Companies need to explore end-of-life product management strategies, including repair, recycling, and repurposing.

Innovation & AI Shaping the Future
There is no return, we need to find the right balance and we need urgent ethics guidance on implementation.