De Beers Group
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2021-01 to 2021-12, 2022)
Reporting Period: 2021-01 to 2021-12
Environmental Metrics
Total Energy Consumption:13.32 million GJ
Water Consumption:66,225 megalitres
Waste Generated:5,394 tonnes of non-hazardous waste to landfill; 1,609 tonnes of hazardous waste; 1,872 tonnes incinerated; 18,405 tonnes recycled
ESG Focus Areas
- Leading ethical practices across industry
- Protecting the natural world
- Partnering for thriving communities
- Accelerating equal opportunity
Environmental Achievements
- Reduced year-on-year energy intensity by 11%
- Reduced Group freshwater withdrawals by 34% compared to 2015
- Achieved 75% water reuse and recycling efficiency
- Protected ~500,000 acres of land
- Launched Okavango Eternal partnership with National Geographic
Social Achievements
- Donated US$6.8 million to support Covid-19 vaccinations
- Supported 2,656 jobs through enterprise development initiatives
- Launched second phase of partnership with the International Youth Foundation
- Launched new partnership with National Geographic – Okavango Eternal
- Launched a five-year Farmer Support Programme supporting 3,000 jobs
- Launched Skills for Life programme offering training and experience opportunities
- Extended global partnership with UN Women
Governance Achievements
- Launched De Beers Code of Origin provenance programme
- Sold first dedicated parcels of ethically sourced ASM diamonds
- Increased capacity of Tracr to register up to one million diamonds per week
- Completed Group Scope 3 emissions strategy
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- Leave a positive lasting legacy in all communities
Medium-term Goals:
- Record majority (by value) of De Beers Group’s annual production on Tracr by 2030
- Be carbon neutral across operations for Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2030
- Reduce freshwater withdrawals by 50% by 2030
- Achieve net positive impact on biodiversity by 2030
- Support four jobs off-site for every one job at operations by 2030
- Implement CRD model for long-term sustainable development by 2030
- Achieve equal opportunity, including gender parity, for employees by 2030
- Support 10,000 women entrepreneurs and engage 10,000 girls in STEM by 2030
- Increase diversity of creative talent in diamond jewellery sector by 2030
- GemFair to generate at least 1,000 supplementary or alternative livelihoods by 2030
- 100% of GemFair eligible diamonds traced through to retail by 2030
Short-term Goals:
- Extend BPP programme beyond value chain
- Scale programmes to support origin transparency at retail by 2025
- Achieve 30% women’s representation across workforce and 40% in senior roles by 2025
- Achieve 85% on Inclusion Index and employee Sustainable Engagement Score by 2025
- GemFair to promote reclamation and restoration of former artisanal diamond mining areas by 2025
- GemFair to support fair access to finance for artisanal miners by 2025
Environmental Challenges
- Covid-19 pandemic impact
- Climate change
- Biodiversity loss
- Water scarcity
- Social inequality
- Scope 3 emissions
- Addressing challenges in artisanal and small-scale mining
Mitigation Strategies
- Developed creative new approaches for implementing programmes and engaging with stakeholders online
- Developed carbon-neutral roadmap for operations
- Developed strategy to address Scope 3 emissions
- Launched Okavango Eternal partnership
- Launched GemFair programme
- Implemented WeCare initiative for Covid-19 response
- Implemented Best Practice Principles Assurance Programme (BPP programme)
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: 2,283 entities covered by BPP programme; 85% of De Beers Group’s spend for managed operations where Responsible Sourcing Standard for Suppliers implemented
Responsible Procurement
- Best Practice Principles Assurance Programme (BPP programme)
- Responsible Sourcing Standard for Suppliers
- Inclusive Procurement Policy
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Extreme weather
- Drought
- Flooding
Transition Risks
- Regulatory changes
- Market shifts
- Energy transition
Opportunities
- Development of renewable energy projects
- Nature-based climate solutions
- Energy efficiency improvements
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: GRI
Certifications: ISO 14001, ISO 45001, Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC)
Third-party Assurance: Bureau Veritas; Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS)
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)
- SDG 4 (Quality Education)
- SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
- SDG 13 (Climate Action)
- SDG 15 (Life on Land)
- SDG 5 (Gender Equality)
- SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)
Initiatives contribute to these goals through various programmes and partnerships
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- De Beers Code of Origin diamonds
Awards & Recognition
- Forbes’ Blockchain 50 list
- Thompson Reuters Responsible Business Awards finalist
- Albert Milton Safety Leadership Award
- Two Gold Quill Awards
- Safe Day Everyday Silver Award
Reporting Period: 2022
Environmental Metrics
Scope 3 Emissions:2.88 million tCO2e (2021)
ESG Focus Areas
- Responsible Sourcing
- Provenance
- Artisanal Mining
- Health and Wellbeing
- Skills and Education
- Livelihoods
- Climate Change
- Water
- Biodiversity
- Inclusive Workplace
- Women in Business and Technology
- Diverse Talent in Diamond Jewellery
Environmental Achievements
- Decreased freshwater use across the group by 14 percent compared with 2021
- Achieved a 4% year-on-year reduction in energy intensity
- Completed a full inventory of Scope 3 (indirect) emissions and set an absolute reduction target of 25 percent by 2030 from a 2021 base year
- Invested US$2 million in Kelp Blue, a start-up growing underwater kelp forests to lock away CO2 and produce sustainable products
- Started development of over 70 MW of renewable energy projects in southern Africa
- ~500,000 acres of land protected for biodiversity through the Diamond Route in 2022
- Established a Seabird Response Unit through the Debmarine-Namdeb Foundation
Social Achievements
- Marked 20 years of De Beers Group’s pioneering HIV programme
- Rolled out a community-orientated primary care partnership to strengthen clinics in disadvantaged areas of southern Africa
- Accelerating Women-Owned Micro-Enterprises (AWOME) programme empowered grassroots women entrepreneurs
- Expanded child literacy program in Canada partnering with Dollywood Foundation
- Secured 12-month internships and work-based learning for 420 students
- Supported 86 business owners through the Stanford Seed Transformation entrepreneurship programme
- Supported a further 520 farmers through the Lima Rural Development Foundation (LIMA) Agriculture Development Capacity Building programme
- Increased indigenous spend by 19 percent through prioritizing indigenous suppliers in Canada
Governance Achievements
- Refined human rights due diligence procedures in Best Practice Principles Assurance Programme (BPP programme)
- Launched Tracr, a blockchain-based traceability platform, at scale
- Expanded the BPP programme to include additional Sightholders, jewellery manufacturers, and suppliers
- Strengthened Pipeline Integrity standard for tracking melee diamonds
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
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Medium-term Goals:
- Support 5,000 women entrepreneurs and increase their income by 25% by 2025
- Engage 5,000 young women and girls in STEM by 2025
- Reduce Scope 3 emissions by 25% by 2030
- GemFair to generate at least 1,000 supplementary livelihoods by 2030
Short-term Goals:
- Extend BPP program beyond value chain
- Register more than a million rough diamonds onto Tracr
- Reduce freshwater withdrawal by 50%
- Achieve 30% women’s representation across workforce and 40% in senior roles by 2025
- Achieve 85% on Inclusion Index and employee Sustainable Engagement Score by 2025
Environmental Challenges
- Work-related fatal injury at Gahcho Kué Mine
- Challenges in reducing GHG emissions due to time constraints and complex stakeholder collaborations
- Data collection challenges across complex supply chains
- Longer-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on community health and education
Mitigation Strategies
- Thorough investigation initiated to prevent similar incidents
- Active stakeholder engagement and innovation to refine emission reduction efforts
- Development of tools and training to support carbon footprint reporting
- Collaboration with government and community institutions to address pandemic impacts
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: 2,690 entities participated in the BPP programme (2022)
Responsible Procurement
- BPP programme
- Inclusive Procurement Policy
- Responsible Sourcing Standard for Suppliers
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Extreme weather events
- Flooding
- Drought
- Ice melt
Transition Risks
- Changes in policy, legislation, technology, and market conditions
Opportunities
- Development of renewable energy projects
- Nature-based climate solutions
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: GRI
Certifications: ISO 14001, ISO 45001, RJC
Third-party Assurance: Bureau Veritas, Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS)
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 3
- SDG 7
- SDG 8
- SDG 12
- SDG 13
- SDG 15
- SDG 17
Goals align with national priorities and development plans of host countries
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- Kelp Blue project
Awards & Recognition
- Global Good Awards finalist
- National Sustainability Awards finalist
- World Media Awards winner
- Mining and Exploration Awards winner