viernes, 13 de noviembre de 2015

viernes, noviembre 13, 2015

Op-Ed Contributor

When Gold Isn’t Worth the Price

By MICHAEL J. KOWALSKI



 

THERE are few places in the world more beautiful than the landscape of salmon-rich rivers that flow into Bristol Bay, Alaska. I arrived there seven years ago not as a sportsman or ecotourist, as most visitors do, but as a chief executive fearful that the company I led would be seen as complicit in the destruction of this remarkable place.

My colleagues and I traveled to Bristol Bay in 2008 to encounter firsthand the land and people put in harm’s way by the proposed Pebble Mine. This vast open-pit gold and copper mine and its toxic waste would obliterate miles of pristine streams and thousands of wilderness acres that sustainthe world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery, which supports thousands of jobs. All in pursuit of the gold from which Tiffany & Company made jewelry.

The conclusion we reached was inescapable: No amount of corporate profit or share price value could justify our participation, however indirectly, in the degradation of such indescribable beauty. Beyond pledging not to use gold produced by the Pebble Mine, we became vocal opponents of mine development there.

Even now, however, the future of Bristol Bay remains uncertain. For the time being, global mining giants have abandoned the Pebble project, and local opposition to the mine is strong and growing. The Environmental Protection Agency has invoked its powers under the Clean Water Act to review the project’s potential impact, but mine proponents are challenging the agency’s actions in court.

The threat to Bristol Bay exemplifies a far larger issue: the enormous human and environmental cost of irresponsible mining. I am saddened to realize how little progress the jewelry industry has made in ensuring that the precious metals and gemstones on which it relies are extracted and processed in ways that are socially and environmentally responsible.

The industry has a better record on conflict diamonds, and we can take comfort that some of the worst abuses are behind us. But the extraction of diamonds is still associated with human rights violations and economic exploitation.

But diamonds are not the only problem. Few meaningful standards exist for the responsible mining of other types of gemstones. Precious-metal mining too often leaves a legacy of poisoned lands and waters. New mine development threatens to destroy valuable cultural resources and some of the world’s most extraordinary landscapes.

A few global brands (including Tiffany & Company) have developed policies of responsible sourcing, charting a more sustainable course. But the whole jewelry industry must come together if it is to win acceptance from its customers for its global social and environmental footprint.

Having led a company that for the past 20 years has been an ardent advocate for higher standards of conduct, I am convinced that the only way forward for the jewelry business in particular, and for extractive industries in general, is through third-party certification mechanisms that establish rigorous standards for the mining of precious metals and gemstones.

This needs to be a system that involves all stakeholders, including community organizations, and not just industry representatives in its conception and governance. It must set standards that go far beyond today’s lowest-common-denominator regulations. Good intentions are not enough; these standards must be transparent, auditable and mine-specific, with on-the-ground performance metrics.

The certification system of the Forest Stewardship Council, which counts hundreds of environmental groups, industry representatives and labor organizations among its members and has promotedsustainable forestry management for more than 20 years, offers a credible model. The standards must enforce respect for human rights and require the informed consent of host communities before mine development. They should also prevent the location of mines in protected areas, or areas of ecological or cultural value.

These standards would prohibit the pollution of land, water or air and the release of toxic materials — specifically, the dumping of mine tailings in rivers, lakes or oceans. And they would require, in advance, full financial provision to cover the costs of mine closure and reclamation.

Jewelry and watch retailers, as well as brand owners, must cooperate to make the mining sector that supplies the materials on which they depend more transparent and responsible. Consumer sentiment is changing on these issues, and the point of sale is where our industry feels most sharply the new public awareness. For their own self-interest and for their customers, retailers and brand owners must insist that the entire supply chain of mining companies, manufacturers and traders recognize the market demand for a more sustainable, responsible industry.

Since my retirement as chief executive, I have been back to Bristol Bay to fish in its waters, observe its magnificent wildlife and marvel at its grandeur. But the scale and majesty of the Alaskan wilderness also remind me that few industries in the world have a larger environmental and social footprint than mining.

We’ve heard the message from customers. Now brand owners and jewelry retailers must come together to establish a certification system that will assure responsible behavior.


Michael J. Kowalski, the chief executive of Tiffany & Company from 1999 to 2015, is the chairman of its board.

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