IGI Antwerp declared carbon neutral

The International Gemological Institute’s (IGI) Antwerp offices have been declared carbon neutral according to PAS 2060 standards set by SCS Global Services (SCS).

The Belgian institute is following in the footsteps of its US counterpart in proactively working towards climate protection.

SCS is a world leader in third-party sustainability certification.

Published by the British Standards Association, the PAS 2060 designation requires a voluntary and ambitious commitment to positive climate action.

Earning the PAS 2060 designation implies that the carbon neutrality claims of an organisation are credible and have been verified by an external auditor, to the benefit of both the environment and consumer confidence.

SCS has issued a formal declaration of IGI Antwerp’s carbon neutrality achievement.

IGI chief operating officer, Deborah Pienica said: “IGI is fully committed to making positive changes which strengthen the environment and our industry.

“This goal was first achieved by our New York City offices, now Antwerp, and we will continue to expand our efforts worldwide.”

In its commitment to achieving the PAS 2060 designation, IGI Antwerp installed smart thermostats and LED lighting equipped with auto-off settings.

IGI also committed to using only environmentally safe cleaning products from sustainable companies.

Employees in Antwerp also committed to the effort – reducing their print frequency, eliminating single-use plastics, diminishing the amount of trash generated per-person, following an unplug policy, sorting trash into categories, alongside a number of other office-wide improvements.

The institute plans to continue proactive environmental stewardship and aims to achieve a 30% reduction in its environmental impact by 2025.

In 2021, IGI became the first gemological institute to commit to carbon neutrality when it joined the Responsible Jewellery Council, International Precious Metals Institute, and Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance in association with SCS.

SCS has been advancing sustainable development goals across multiple sectors through auditing, testing, certification, and developing leadership standards to create a framework for continuous improvement.