De Beers Group releases Building Forever 2021 sustainability report

De Beers Group has reported on the strong progress made in 2021 towards the achievement of its 2030 ‘Building Forever’ sustainability goals in its latest sustainability report, the diamond miner said in a press release distributed on Tuesday.
“In the first full year since announcing the 12 goals, De Beers made meaningful progress in each of its priority focus areas – leading ethical practices, protecting the natural world, partnering for thriving communities and accelerating equal opportunity – despite ongoing challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, which continued to impact the company’s operating environment in 2021,” the press release said enumerating the achievement highlights, which include increased capacity of De Beers Group’s innovative diamond traceability blockchain platform, TracrTM; reduced energy intensity by 11 per cent as De Beers strives to be carbon neutral across its operations by 2030; supporting more than 2,600 jobs through enterprise development initiatives in southern Africa and more than 18,000 students at 25 schools in South Africa; and many others.
De Beers Group also mentioned its contribution to the host countries through tax and royalty payments, employment and local procurement, which totalled $4.7 billion in 2021.
Bruce Cleaver, CEO, De Beers Group, said: “As the first full year since announcing our ambitious 2030 sustainability goals, 2021 was a pivotal year for our business. We embedded the goals into our operational and commercial frameworks, established critical foundations and partnerships, engaged with stakeholders and took tangible steps forward, all while continuing to operate against a backdrop of Covid-19. Our Building Forever sustainability goals underpin our commitment to create a better future for people and the planet and we will continue to build on our strong momentum throughout 2022 and beyond.”