The net-zero jewellery roadmap is the umbrella term for the various sector-specific frameworks under which the global jewellery industry is attempting to align its greenhouse-gas emissions trajectory with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The picture is fragmented — there is no single unified industry roadmap in the way the steel, cement, and aviation sectors have produced one — but a coherent set of overlapping commitments and frameworks has emerged from the Responsible Jewellery Council, the International Council on Mining and Metals, the World Gold Council, the Diamond Producers Association (now the Natural Diamond Council), the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, and the major mining and refining groups, and these together constitute what the trade now refers to collectively as the net-zero roadmap. The frameworks cover Scope 1 emissions from direct operations, Scope 2 emissions from purchased energy, and Scope 3 emissions across the supply chain.

The structural challenge

The jewellery supply chain has unusual climate accounting properties. The bulk of emissions are concentrated upstream, in mining and primary refining of gold, platinum-group metals, silver, and the principal coloured stones, and to a lesser extent in primary diamond production. Downstream operations — manufacturing, polishing, retail, and consumer use — contribute a smaller proportion of the total footprint per piece, although the proportion varies substantially by category and by retail model.

Within mining, the energy and carbon intensity of production varies by orders of magnitude across operations. A large open-pit gold mine using grid electricity in a coal-dominated power market produces gold at a substantially higher carbon footprint per ounce than a hydroelectric-powered underground operation. Recycled gold has a substantially lower production footprint per ounce than primary gold, with figures in the published literature suggesting roughly an order of magnitude difference, though comparison depends on the specific accounting boundaries.

The implication is that the most material decarbonisation levers in jewellery sit upstream of the retail end of the supply chain, and the success of any net-zero roadmap depends principally on the choices made at the mining and refining stages.

The principal frameworks

The Responsible Jewellery Council has issued climate-action guidance under its Code of Practices, requiring certified members to disclose Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and to set reduction targets aligned with science-based pathways. The RJC framework is the dominant retail-facing standard, covering more than 1,500 member organisations across the supply chain, and the certification carries weight in retailer due-diligence processes.

The International Council on Mining and Metals — the industry association for the largest global mining companies — published a climate-action commitment in 2021 under which member companies commit to achieving net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050 and to setting Scope 3 targets aligned with the Paris Agreement. The ICMM is the principal industry body covering the largest gold and platinum-group metal producers (Newmont, Barrick, Anglo American, Glencore, BHP, Rio Tinto, Sibanye-Stillwater, Vale, and others) and the climate commitment is the most consequential single step in the upstream emissions picture.

The World Gold Council has produced sector-specific climate guidance for gold mining, including a target of net-zero by 2050 across member operations and a commitment to interim 2030 reductions consistent with limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Council's published reporting framework includes detailed guidance on Scope 1, 2, and 3 calculation for gold-mining operations.

The Natural Diamond Council, representing the major natural-diamond producers, has produced a climate position emphasising the relatively low Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity of underground diamond mining compared with the energy-intensive synthesis of laboratory-grown diamond, and committing to continued reduction of operational emissions across member operations. Laboratory-grown diamond producers, in turn, have published various claims about renewable-energy use in synthesis, with significant variation in independent verification of those claims.

Strategy and the levers

The principal decarbonisation levers in the jewellery supply chain are reasonably well understood. Renewable electricity in mining and refining operations addresses Scope 2 directly and substantially. Electrification of mine-haul fleets and replacement of diesel power plants with renewable-supplied alternatives reduces Scope 1. Refinery efficiency and the substitution of low-carbon fuels in pyrometallurgical operations reduces Scope 1. Recycled metal supply, scaled up against primary supply, reduces the embodied carbon in finished pieces by a substantial multiple. Supply-chain transparency under the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and similar frameworks supports Scope 3 accounting and identifies decarbonisation opportunities at supplier level.

Carbon offsetting is treated by most of the relevant frameworks as a residual measure, available only after demonstrated reductions across the operational footprint. The reliability of voluntary offset markets — particularly forestry and other land-based offsets — has been the subject of substantial criticism in recent years, and the major industry frameworks now generally require that offsets be from high-integrity registered projects with verified additionality.

Implementation

Adoption of the various roadmap commitments varies widely. The largest mining groups have published climate strategies and annual progress reports, with Scope 1 and 2 reductions broadly tracking the announced trajectories and Scope 3 progress more variable. The largest refiners — Valcambi, Argor-Heraeus, Pamp, Heraeus, Metalor, Royal Canadian Mint, Rand Refinery, and the Asian majors — have made comparable commitments and are reporting against them. Major retailers including Tiffany, Cartier, Bulgari, Pandora, Signet, and Chow Tai Fook have published climate strategies and either are or are working towards aligning with science-based targets through SBTi.

Smaller suppliers and the artisanal and small-scale mining sector face substantially greater resource constraints. The proliferation of standards and the cost of certification disadvantages small operators, and the practical implementation of net-zero commitments at the artisanal level depends materially on continued capacity-building support from the broader industry and from development agencies.

In the trade

For a buyer or retailer building a credible climate position, the practical recommendations are straightforward. Source from RJC-certified suppliers where possible. Prefer recycled metal supply where appropriate, with full disclosure to clients. Source mined material from operations covered by ICMM, World Gold Council, or comparable framework commitments. Build relationships with refiners that publish full Scope 1, 2, and 3 reporting and have credible decarbonisation strategies. Treat any unverified climate claim — particularly in the laboratory-grown diamond and small-supplier segments — with appropriate scepticism, and look for third-party verification.

Further reading

• Responsible Jewellery Council — climate action and certification
• ICMM — mining and metals climate commitment
• World Gold Council — gold mining climate position
• Science Based Targets initiative — methodology and corporate commitments