putting the sparkle in ESG with Brilliant Earth
At qb., we know that creating effective ESG policies, protocols, and oversight requires hard work and behavioral change, which is why we're shining a spotlight on the individuals who are leading the charge. In our new series: “ESG Leaders + Governance”, we highlight the people behind the transformational actions and programs that are shaping the future of business. We’ll talk to ESG leaders from different industries and backgrounds, we'll delve into the challenges they've faced, the strategies they've employed, and the lessons they've learned along the way.
We sat down with Allison Charalambous, VP of Responsible Sourcing + Sustainability at Brilliant Earth, to chat about her role in overseeing the mission driven company's efforts to make jewelry more transparent, sustainable, compassionate, and inclusive.
published 8.15.23
Here are Allison’s 6 tips for leading with a mindset that drives sustainable change:
Your mission should drive your approach to ESG
As a mission-driven company, our ESG strategy is deeply influenced by our four mission pillars: transparent, sustainable, compassionate, and inclusive. These pillars have been at the core of our brand since its establishment back in 2005, shaping how we conduct our business on a day-to-day basis. While I hold a leadership position overseeing our ESG efforts, it's important to acknowledge that the thoroughness of our ESG efforts is only possible with the help of numerous teams who play vital roles in enforcing and upholding Brilliant Earth’s mission.
One key distinction between mission-driven companies like ours and traditional companies transitioning into sustainability or ESG is the approach to implementation. Many traditional companies tend to compartmentalize sustainability efforts, assigning them to individuals or small teams. However, we firmly believe that achieving our goals requires collective participation and support from everyone within the organization. Our ESG program is truly an "all hands on deck" endeavor. This is particularly evident in areas such as the supply chain, where, in the case of consumer products, it holds the greatest environmental impact. By embracing a holistic approach and involving all stakeholders, we aim to foster a stronger commitment to our mission and drive meaningful change in line with our ESG objectives.
Materiality assessments are key to forging a genuine ESG strategy and goals
As a mission-driven company, we came into the industry, eyes wide open, about the material issues that precious metal and gemstone operations can have beyond the immediate tier one level. In such, our ESG goals were formulated around our mission pillars. For traditional companies not started with this foundation, it is crucial to conduct a materiality assessment to identify the social and environmental issues within your supply chain. It’s important to understand that materiality assessments and matrices are valuable tools to assess and address impact comprehensively, going beyond superficial considerations and demonstrating our dedication to responsible practices.
Prioritize traceability in your supply chain
Collecting comprehensive data and information about the different actors in your supply chain, beyond just your manufacturer, is crucial. Knowing the origins of your products and having visibility into your factory base is essential. Supplier compliance is a long game because culture shifts take time, so it is important to establish transparent communication channels with your suppliers and actively track your supply chain.
Tracking your supply chain may feel like an overwhelming task, but once you overcome the initial hurdle, it becomes a living, breathing document that helps you understand your global supply chain network. You may start to notice trends, shared factories among suppliers, and the opportunities to streamline processes, like audits, when onboarding new factories.
This approach also enhances collaboration with suppliers and other supply chain actors, an essential ingredient to encouraging a compliance culture shift, enabling you to identify hotspots and opportunities for traceability and sustainability initiatives. One of our key challenges is mapping out the scope of emissions beyond tier two and identifying hotspots, and working collaboratively with suppliers and upstream actors to address these issues. Striving to integrate traceability and sustainability into all aspects of our supply chain helps us drive positive change.
Figure out where and if a new initiative aligns with your ESG framework
When implementing new sustainability initiatives, it is crucial to consider which pillar they align with and where they fit within the overall framework. There is no shortage of initiatives or sustainability solutions being sold, and this approach ensures consistency and helps prioritize efforts. For example, our Brilliant Earth Foundation has three areas of focus: responsible sourcing, social impact, and climate action. We have no shortage of passion or interests, but we must carefully assess an initiative’s relevance and alignment before proceeding.
Strong leadership guides strong ethics
The issue of human rights, particularly in relation to diamonds, has always been at the forefront of our mission. Our CEO, Beth, founded the company with the intention of providing traceable diamonds to customers, recognizing the human rights implications associated with the industry, including the concern over blood diamonds. Our company’s commitment to ethical practices in our complex global supply chain is fueled from the top down, and Beth pushes us to push the fine jewelry industry further. Where other industries are leading, we take their best practices and strive to implement similar approaches on our own, uplifting and advancing the fine jewelry industry as a whole. Upholding our beyond-conflict-free commitment for natural diamonds is one of our most significant responsibilities, supported by dedicated teams and certifications. Unfortunately, the progress for lab grown diamonds was lacking, until we worked closely with our suppliers to implement international standards to audit our lab grown diamond factories. This was a new experience for many lab factories, and we provided guidance and support throughout the process. Being a mission-driven company sets us apart from traditional companies, and our dedication to human rights and ethical practices drives our actions across all our product lines.
Things can change quickly, and that’s OK
As a fast-moving company, our evolution and accomplishments over the past two years have felt incredibly significant. In that short period, we went public, released our first mission report with 29 ESG goals, and followed up with a second mission report providing updates on those goals. Our focus on public reporting has been a major area of growth, offering structure and a guidebook for our internal processes and customer communication.
Our mission report serves as a reference point, outlining our ESG goals and milestones, like a guidebook. We're always looking back at the report, revisiting the data that we've included in the frameworks, and using that to move our efforts forward. We align our actions and strategies based on these goals, while always considering the four mission pillars.
Thanks for reading. ✨ If you’re interested in learning more about working with us, drop us a line.
