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RJC Publishes First Impacts Report
Jun 30, 2014 8:06 AM
By RJC
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Press Release: The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) today publishes its first Impacts Report, "Building Responsible Jewellery Supply Chains,"" which reviews the first four years of RJC Certification programs during 2010-2013.
As a full member of the ISEAL Alliance, RJC commits to follow the ISEAL Impacts Code and report annually on its Monitoring and Evaluation program. This process provides RJC with valuable feedback on the effectiveness of its strategies and programs, prompting improvements. An impacts report aims to answer the important question of "what difference does this program make?" and is part of ISEAL Impacts Code compliance.
As the first report on RJC’s Certification programs, this report sets out a baseline for future evaluations. Drawing on audit data, collaboration reports and independent studies, the RJC Impacts Report provides a snapshot of RJC’s mine to retail activities in the jewelry supply chain. It examines progress to date and also reviews the challenges still ahead. Overall, the report shows that RJC appears to be an effective catalyst for change, helping companies meet compliance needs and build a better business. Key findings include:
• Uptake of RJC Certification continues to grow year on year, and in relevant sectors. Around the world, there are now more than 270,000 employees working at more than 5,900 facilities covered by RJC Certification.
• While the mining sector still has low uptake within RJC, two case studies show that RJC standards are having a positive impact in setting new benchmarks for good practice.
• Uptake of RJC Certification in India is positive and further growth is anticipated. An independent evaluation finds that RJC’s standards can help the Indian industry manage key risks.
• Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) already represent more than half of RJC’s Membership. Certification can be successfully achieved by SMEs, but more can be done to raise awareness and support uptake.
• Working in partnership with key stakeholders is crucial to support the implementation of, and demand for, responsible practices in jewelry supply chains. RJC’s standards harmonization efforts have contributed greatly to the increasing focus on gold supply chain due diligence.
“RJC’s first Impacts Report provides an opportunity to reflect on our direction over the last four years. The findings speak to RJC’s positive impacts to date, and the work that still lies ahead. We welcome feedback on the report content, particularly on what stakeholders would like to know more about in future. Each year RJC will publish an updated Impacts Report, enabling discussion about where we are doing well and where we could be doing better,” says Fiona Solomon, RJC’s director of Standards Development.
Links:
• RJC Impacts Report ‘Building Responsible Jewellery Supply Chains’
• RJC Monitoring & Evaluation website
About RJC
The Responsible Jewellery Council is an international not-for-profit standards and certification organization. It has more than 480 member companies that span the jewelry supply chain from mine to retail. RJC Members commit to and are independently audited against the RJC Code of Practices – an international standard on responsible business practices for diamonds, gold and platinum group metals. The Code of Practices addresses human rights, labor rights, environmental impact, mining practices, product disclosure and many more important topics in the jewelry supply chain. RJC also works with multi-stakeholder initiatives on responsible sourcing and supply chain due diligence. The RJC’s Chain-of-Custody Certification for precious metals supports these initiatives and can be used as a tool to deliver broader Member and stakeholder benefit.
The RJC is a Full Member of the ISEAL Alliance – the global association for sustainability standards.
Rapaport News is not responsible for, and does not endorse, the content of any third-party press release. This is not a Rapaport Press Release. It has been provided as additional information for our clients.
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