Nine weeks ahead of the 2016 CIBJO Congress which is being held in Yerevan, Armenia in October, the organisation has released the first of its commissions' Special Reports which will form the basis for discussions at the event. The report, releasedby the Marketing & Education Commission calls for strengthening the industry initiatives for sustainable development.

Prepared by Jonathan Kendall, who heads the commission, the report also an update about the organisation's Jewellery Industry Greenhouse Gas Measurement Initiative, which was launched in 2012 to help businesses in the industry understand and reduce their environmental impact.

The document notes the successes in member engagement in this initiative, stating that there currently are about 20 organisations fully measuring their carbon footprints and working towards carbon neutrality, and more than 40 are close to joining. They include trade bodies, manufacturers, grading laboratories, watch companies, equipment manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and brands.   

Kendall said, “The CIBJO initiative has been designed to be as simple as possible, from planning to implementation. We are here to help, and we believe it is critical that we take the initiative on this issue, before we give consumers a reason to reduce their purchasing of the wonderful products we develop and sell.”

At the congress, participants in this programme will talk about their experiences, and industry experts will respond to questions for those who wish to sign up, Kendall announced.