Environmental Sustainability and Protecting the Natural World

We are working towards our commitment of being carbon neutral by 2030, minimising our water footprint and delivering a net positive impact on biodiversity. Our partner communities cannot be healthy or thrive economically unless we work together to protect the natural world. We operate a sustainable approach to land management that includes continuous restoration and rehabilitation in partnership with local communities and follow best practice for water and biodiversity management, waste, air quality, emissions and mine closure.

Focused on delivering transformative environmental performance through FutureSmart Mining™ technology, the development of carbon neutral mines, halving our water footprint and protecting some of the world’s most vulnerable species.

Case study – Kelp Blue

De Beers Group has invested US$2 million in Kelp Blue – an innovative start-up focused on growing and managing large-scale giant kelp forests, initially off the Namibian coast.

These underwater kelp forests have the potential to safely and permanently lock away vast amounts of CO2 in the ocean. Research has shown that kelp forests have carbon sequestration properties exceeding those of terrestrial forests and that they help sustain healthy marine ecosystems, providing food and shelter for countless species.

 

In line with De Beers Group’s Building Forever sustainability goals, the investment supports a pioneering nature-based solution for sequestering carbon and enhancing biodiversity and, in 2021, Kelp Blue was awarded a licence to cultivate Giant Kelp off the coast of Namibia and is now in the pilot phase.

The initiative will also support De Beers in its goal of being carbon neutral across its operations by 2030. While De Beers Group’s primary focus in achieving this goal will be on increasing efficiency and replacing fossil fuel and fossil-based energy from its operations with renewable alternatives, carbon credits resulting from the investment in Kelp Blue will support the company in removing any remaining emissions, alongside other nature-based initiatives.