Ellah Muchemwa: ADPA to launch Africa's first diamond mining standard next year

The African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), which is based in Luanda, Angola, and represents the interests of mainly African diamond producers and those with the potential to produce diamonds, will next year launch the Sustainable Development...

04 november 2024

Dmitry Fedorov: I want our jewelry to be displayed at a museum in the future

Dmitry Fedorov is the founder of the eponymous jewelry house. His main focus is the creation of Orthodox-inspired premium luxury jewelry of high artistic merit. He told Rough&Polished about his journey in the jewelry industry, about choosing the ‘Orthodox...

28 october 2024

Responsible business practices ‘no longer optional’, says WDC President Feriel Zerouki

The president of the World Diamond Council takes time out of her busy schedule to tell Rough&Polished readers about the critical work of the WDC. Zerouki, the first female present of the body, which includes all the important industry organizations among...

14 october 2024

James Campbell: Botswana Diamonds optimistic as it enters uncharted territory of using AI for mineral exploration

London-listed Botswana Diamonds has expressed optimism about the company’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) to scan the exploration database in Botswana to look for new mineralised deposits. Company managing director James Campbell told Rough...

07 october 2024

Artur Salyakayev: For me, happiness is freedom to make my ideas happen and create valuable products

Artur Salyakayev is an art entrepreneur, founder of the International Jewelry Academy (IJA) and the INCRUA jewelry company. He has initiated and developed successful projects in jewelry industry and services sector. He is also a leading expert...

30 september 2024

De Beers to up contribution towards SDGs

08 november 2017
De Beers said it will increase its contribution to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by “embedding” them across its operations and value chain.
SDGs, launched by the United Nations in 2015, were a universal set of targets and indicators varying from poverty eradication to environment protection.
It said in its diamond dialogues report issued during a diamond conference in Gaborone, Botswana that the first step would be to encourage all value chain partners to map, identify and actively manage their impact on the SDGs as well as determine future priorities.
“With its own operations, De Beers Group is building on this preliminary mapping via its annual materiality exercise to further map potentially negative impacts on the SDGs, so it can ensure they are mitigated,” it said.
“The company also aims to raise the level of dialogue on the SDGs by bringing different sectors together to discuss common issues, and by encouraging collaboration through events and publications.”
The group said SDGs provided a “compelling vision” of what it means to be a sustainable business, uniting all stakeholders to increase and accelerate the positive contribution diamonds can make to sustainable development.
De Beers was planning to invest $3 million to support female micro-entrepreneurs and STEM students in its diamond-producing countries.
It would also invest an additional $3 million in a three-year collaboration with Stanford Graduate School of Business to empower young, aspiring entrepreneurs and established business owners in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, from Gaborone, Botswana, Rough&Polished