WWF rating in the watch and jewellery industry

Globally active companies in the watch and jewellery sector have a significant environmental and social footprint. This is largely due to the mining and global procurement of raw materials, as large quantities of metallic and mineral raw materials such as gold, platinum and diamonds are consumed. Environmental and human rights risks are often closely linked in the extraction of these raw materials. There are also environmental and social risks in the production, transport, sales and marketing phases. In its 2018 rating of the watch and jewellery industry, WWF examined for the first time how the most important Swiss brands in the sector are addressing these challenges through sustainability measures.

Since the publication of the "WWF Watch and Jewellery Rating 2018", awareness of sustainability issues has increased in the industry. More and more luxury brands are working on circular business models to source and manufacture environmentally sustainable materials and products. While consumers have become more demanding in terms of transparency and sustainability, numerous regulations and laws have been passed that require companies to be more diligent along their global supply chains. The sustainable sourcing of raw materials is also increasingly becoming the focus of legislators.

Against this backdrop, the WWF published a new edition of the "Watch and Jewellery Rating" in November 2023. The rating expands the group of brands analysed to include globally renowned players in the industry, covers a broad spectrum of important environmental issues and identifies correlations with potential human rights risks. To ensure the independence of the rating, adelphi was commissioned to carry out the process. To this end, adelphi revised the rating methodology developed by WWF in 2018, carried out the rating on the basis of a company questionnaire and desktop research and prepared the results as an updated report.

The "WWF Watch and Jewellery Rating 2023" is intended to serve consumers and political decision-makers as a basis for knowledge and decision-making. At the same time, it offers companies a comparison with their competitors and can motivate them to increase their efforts in climate and environmental protection. In addition to the results of the rating, best practices are highlighted to serve as guidance for companies in the industry to improve their sustainability performance in the various rating categories.