The Okapi wildlife reserve, a world heritage site in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is being leveled by illegal gold mines and rangers are dying trying to protect it. The gold is then smuggled out of the country and sold to international buyers who have no idea their gold is responsible for death and destruction.  

Tiffany and Co is one of the largest luxury jewelers in the world. It is trying to clean up its supply chain by refusing to purchase gold from the DRC. However, much of the gold sold in countries bordering on the DRC is coming right from these illegal mines and into the supply chains of corporations like Tiffany and Co.

Tiffany and Co needs to step up its efforts to ensure its gold supply chain is conflict-free before more life is lost and critical wild spaces like the Okapi wildlife reserve are destroyed.

Sign the petition today to tell Tiffany and Co to clean up its gold supply chain.

Tiffany and Co is a Forbes top 2000 company worth billions of dollars, profit made from luxury items like gold jewelry. On its website it says that it is committed to ethical supply chain practices and its former CEO said this spring that this means not sourcing from the DRC directly. However, we know this is not enough.

Gold is the least controlled conflict mineral in the DRC and it is being mined and exported illegally at an alarming rate. The DRC government estimates that 20-30 tonnes of gold are extracted each year, yet only 650 lbs is reported as being exported officially. Tiffany and Co need to do more to control its supply chain directly from the source: the mines and miners.

Conflict gold is responsible for at least five deaths this year in the Okapi wildlife reserve, and for the destruction of critical habitat for endangered wildlife like the okapi. Tiffany and Co needs to step up its act and ensure that its ethical commitments aren’t just lip-service and that gold is sourced directly from conflict-free mines and miners.

SumOfUs has worked to hold giant corporations accountable for their supply chains before, challenging Amazon to ensure that its Fire phone did not include conflict minerals or use slave labour. We know that, with the support of concerned members like you, we can help Tiffany and Co up its supply chain game and ensure that its gold is sourced directly from ethical mines.

Will you join me in signing today to tell Tiffany to clean up its gold supply chain?