De Beers awarded sustainability prize for third straight year

The De Beers Group is again the Overall Winner, and Winner Best Sustainability Reporting in the Resources sector, in the ACCA South Africa Sustainability Reporting Awards, for its Report to Society 2011.

It is the third consecutive year that De Beers has won the award, after its 2009 and 2010 Reports to Society also won first prize in the Resources category, and were the Overall Winners for Best Sustainability Report.

De Beers says in a statement that operating sustainably and responsibly is at the heart of its business strategy since it ensures that the firm continues to operate in producer countries, and strengthens consumer confidence in the integrity of its diamonds.

In the Judges’ Report, the ACCA describes the De Beers’ Report to Society as “staggeringly good”.

De Beers Chief Executive Officer Philippe Mellier says De Beers has a unique responsibility to report on its operations in a "robust and transparent way”.

ACCA has been involved in promoting transparency and accountability in reporting on sustainability issues for the past two decades.