Diamonds: Beyond Brilliance, Towards a Sustainable Legacy
Commitment to a Greener Planet: Climate Action and Nature Conservation
De Beers Group has made remarkable strides in reducing its environmental footprint. The company successfully cut its Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 14% since 2021, moving closer to its ambitious target of a one-third reduction by 2030. This progress is supported by investments in renewable energy initiatives, including projects that bring 520MW of clean energy to Southern Africa through solar and wind power. Additionally, De Beers actively manages 375,000 acres of land for conservation in Southern Africa, with biodiversity management programs aimed at mitigating and restoring ecological impacts. Notable achievements include the designation of Angola's first Ramsar Wetland, protecting the Okavango Delta's water source, and the successful translocation of 31 rhinos as part of rewilding efforts. The Group aims to secure three times more land for nature than it impacts by 2030, safeguarding an additional 13 million acres.
Empowering Communities: Livelihoods and Skill Development Initiatives
The company's commitment to social development is evident in its support for local economies and communities. For every job created directly by De Beers, 2.6 additional jobs were supported offsite in 2025, with a target of four offsite jobs for every onsite role by 2030. Programs like Stanford Seed provide leadership training and networking opportunities to 128 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in diamond-producing partner countries. The EntreprenHER program, in partnership with UN Women, trained an additional 500 women in 2025, bringing the total to over 3,900 since 2016, fostering female entrepreneurship. Furthermore, De Beers Group has pledged an initial investment of BWP1 billion (approximately USD70 million) to Botswana's Diamonds for Development Fund, bolstering the nation's efforts towards economic diversification and a knowledge-based economy.
Ensuring Integrity: Diamond Traceability and Ethical Sourcing
De Beers Group continues to strengthen the transparency and traceability of its diamonds. The Tracr platform, a blockchain-backed system, has now individually scanned over five million rough diamonds, enhancing confidence in their journey from mine to market. A new partnership with Sarine integrates rough diamond source registration with advanced scanning data, creating an end-to-end traceability solution. This platform also underpinned the De Beers London capsule collection, demonstrating the ethical sourcing of artisanally mined diamonds. The company's Best Practice Principles program, now in its 20th year, ensures rigorous standards and third-party audits for a quarter of a million people across 70 countries. Moreover, all precious metal suppliers for De Beers London and Forevermark retail brands meet stringent sourcing standards, reaffirming the company's dedication to ethical practices.
Leadership Perspectives on Sustainable Value Creation
Al Cook, Chief Executive Officer of De Beers Group, emphasized that natural diamonds offer more than just aesthetic appeal; they serve as a catalyst for job creation, skill development, environmental conservation, and climate action in diamond-producing nations. He highlighted the company's sharpened focus on ambitious sustainability goals aligned with partner countries' priorities, global standards, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Sandrine Conseiller, CEO of De Beers Brands, added that consumers increasingly expect brands to demonstrate their broader impact. She noted that the report transparently shares De Beers' actions and their effects, enabling customers to choose natural diamonds with confidence, knowing their value extends far beyond the gem itself.