Raakatimanttien maa­il­man­laa­jui­nen kauppa – Kimberleyn prosessin ser­ti­fioin­ti­jär­jest­le­män sovittaminen

EUn kyselylomakkeelle tallennettu kommentti 10.5.2021.

Suomen luonnonsuojeluliitto (The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation) is the oldest and biggest environmental NGO in Finland.

This is a process to just rewrite the regulation for clarity. It has been important in the context of conflict minerals, so called blood diamonds. However, we would like to ask: Why would the EU support sales of any mined diamonds?

The EU has in the Green Deal new principle ”do no (significant) harm”. Diamond mining is usually done by large open pits. The work is dangerous, and all diamonds are produced with the cost of human suffering. The mining does severe harm to land use, ground and surface waters, food production and biodiversity.

It is also a huge waste of energy and source of greenhouse gasses. Closing diamond mines would support global and EU climate efforts. Supporting diamond mining should not be part of the Green Deal.

Diamonds are used as branded jewels and in part for investments. Useless pieces of carbon have been branded for signs of wealth and even love.

All diamonds needed industry or technical uses are cost-effectively produced by synthetic means. The synthetic diamonds are produced for jewelry in various shapes and colors not available or rare for natural diamonds. One example is a ring: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/jony-ive-ring-diamond-ring-apple-designer-charity-auction-red-sothebys-a8631831.html

The industry should be transferred to more ecologic synthetic materials by regulating the carbon footprint of the products. In general the EU should set carbon limits and taxes for private consumption especially for vanity products. Vanity tax for environmentally costly jewels, diamonds and precious metal used for jewelry would be a way to finance EU-projects similarly as the plastic tax. Diamond mining investment should be banned in EU taxonomy and eco-labels.

Diamond sales are an important part of the economy of some developing countries. Selling diamonds is also a major business in the EU. The EU businesses can transform to synthetic products. It could be an advantage to change among the first ones. Some of the major companies are already doing this. ”The world’s biggest jeweller, Pandora, says it will no longer sell mined diamonds and will switch to exclusively laboratory-made diamonds.” BBC May 2021: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56972562

The developing countries and possibly other mining countries could be given exclusive rights for synthetic reproductions of their special original diamonds, and for synthetic the diamonds with their national colours and cultural designs. This system could be similar to original foods. The mine workers could have healthier jobs in production of synthetic diamonds. The Kimberley regulation should be transferred to controlling the carbon footprint of the synthetic diamonds beside the origin and fair trade conditions including rights of the workers.

This statement was prepared by our senior advisor Dr Jari Natunen.

On behalf of SUOMEN LUONNONSUOJELULIITTO RY

Tapani Veistola

acting executive director