Sustainable Business magazine - essential reading for sustainability professionals
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/137958
Supply Chain Precious metals 1/4 Opening the box on sustainable jewellery The versatility of gold and other precious metals, combined with their rise in value, has attracted a wide range of investors. However, this surge in interest brings with it an augmented level of scrutiny. Stakeholders are asking more questions and continue to raise issues around corporate responsibility in the precious metals supply chain, says SGS's sustainability manager Effie Marinos. Whether it is the potential for minerals from conflict areas to find their way into products or the impact of mining on local communities, companies are increasingly expected to minimise the undesirable environmental and social consequences of production at every stage, beginning with raw material sourcing. Reports of environmental and health & safety infractions have surfaced around the globe, from the US, with concerns about the gold supplied for medals at the Olympic Games, to Ghana, where an increase in illegal mining has recently been observed with the potential to worsen conditions for both migrant prospectors and indigenous artisanal miners. Industry has become more aware of both the responsibilities to society and the environment but also of the interests of customers. Customers now look to industry leaders and individual companies to implement systems both to guarantee the responsibility of their own operations and to ensure the traceability and responsible behaviour of their suppliers. Different sectors have implemented schemes aimed at