Sustainability has emerged as a key driver of business strategy in recent years, growing from the need to protect the planet, uplift communities and ensure that products and services make a positive contribution to society.
But what is driving this interest? And what does sustainability encompass? Is there a sustainability premium, and if so, how much is it? How are brands approaching their sustainability programs?
These themes were center stage in the first of a series of webinars, sponsored by Sarine Technologies and titled Fast-Tracking the Future. The panelists were Florence Inumaru, the director of transversal projects at jewelry maison Boucheron; Shikha Jain, a partner at consultancy firm Simon-Kucher & Partners; and David Prager, executive vice president and chief brand officer at De Beers.
Follow this important and wide-ranging discussion, moderated by Rapaport’s Avi Krawitz, in the video […]
Some comments from the webinar chatroom:
• “I am in South Africa, very close to the mines. I don’t believe diamonds can be traced 100%. Provenance is a mere commercial pitch.”
• “What is important is to try, not to be perfect. :)”
• “If brands are not communicating at all, consumers and others assume that nothing is being done at all.”
• “Some of [us] ‘small’ guys have been successfully selling specialty-cut diamonds at a premium for years. I see this as another arrow in our quiver.”
• “If you’re doing SOMETHING at the upstream (mining) or cutting (midstream), please talk about it. Your clients will be grateful to know more about your small and big steps.”
• “David’s point on investing in women entrepreneurs is a great point heading into International Women’s Day/Month.”
• “Unfortunately, provenance is more than a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Photo © Tobias Weinhold on Unsplash.
