Caroline Lucas, Green Party leader, and parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion, today joined forces with local businesses to call for Brighton and Hove to become Britain's "first ethical jewellery trading hub."
Dr Lucas proposed the unique move after Green Party research revealed that the majority of the city's numerous jewellery retailers are unable to guarantee that their gold and diamond jewellery originates from ethical sources. (1)
Mining for gold has been linked to a host of serious human rights and environmental abuses in countries such as Honduras and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Diamonds have been blamed for fuelling and perpetuating armed conflicts across Africa - thus the term "blood diamond."
Under the proposals, all of the city's jewellery retailers would be encouraged to market at least one range of ethically sourced gold products, and to work to ensure that their diamond products are genuinely conflict-free. A working group consisting of retailers, ethical supply specialists and relevant campaigners would be established to spearhead, market and develop the initiative on an ongoing basis. (2)
The Green Party believes the proposals will further fuel growing support for ethical and fairly traded goods, raise the profile of local businesses involved in the initiative, and represent a positive move for the image of Brighton and Hove as a whole.
Caroline Lucas today said: "Brighton and Hove is a popular destination for those looking to purchase jewellery for a special occasion. Our research found that very few retailers were able to offer reassurance or guarantees that there jewellery products are from ethical sources. Unfortunately, guarantees are what the disconcerning consumer needs in order to make informed choices."
She added: "Here in Brighton and Hove, a host of pioneering retailers and producers are leading the way in ethical procurement for other products - be it food, clothing, toys or even garden furniture - and there's no reason those involved in jewellery retail and manufacture cannot follow suit. Ethical trading is good for business - as well as being good for the environment and human rights."
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Notes to Editors:
1) The Green Party recently visited 21 of Brighton and Hove's leading jewellery shops and workshops - ranging from big chain stores to small independent outfits - and quizzed them on the origins and ethical status of their goods. With the exception of outlets who carry specifically ethical ranges, none of the others were able to say with any certainty where their gold comes from, or prove if it was ethically procured. One larger store stated it was part of a scheme designed to avoid the use of gold from dubious origins. On diamonds, all the stores spoken to claimed that they only sold "conflict free" stones, yet none were able to provide paperwork or other supporting evidence to prove this.
2) Two leading Sussex ethical jewellery businesses today backed the Green Party's proposals: Deborah Miarkowska of EcoChic Collection, an online, Sussex based boutique and magazine specialising in ethically sourced jewellery, gifts and accessories and the promotion of social causes; and Greg Valerio, of the Chichester-based Cred Jewellery, which has pioneered a gold supply chain that is fully transparant and open to ethical audit. More information on both businesses, and quotes from Deborah Miarkowska and Greg Valerio, are available on request.
3) The findings of the Brighton and Hove Green Party's research mirror previous studies undertaken on a much larger scale. A survey of UK diamond retailers carried out by by Global Witness and Amnesty International revealed that many leading UK retailers did not have effective policies in place to help British consumers avoid conflict diamonds. The survey, released in May 2007, found that more than three-quarters (79%) of retailers who did respond reported having no auditing procedures in place to combat the trade in conflict diamonds. Almost a third (31%) of retailers surveyed failed to respond to repeated requests to provide information about their policies, including household names. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed (62%) do not post any information on their websites about their policies on conflict diamonds.
For more information contact Brighton & Hove Green Party 01273 766672 / 07977 239406
Broadcast footage of gold / diamond mining available.