EESR Statement

Ethical Environmental Social Responsibility Statement 2024

Warren James always believes in doing things right and this has long been a cornerstone of our family business.  Since our incorporation in 1979, we have always strived to conduct our business activities in a responsible and ethical manner.
We believe we are, and will continue to strive to be, a RESPONSIBLE business.

Responsibility to make a difference

Warren James is the UK’s largest independently owned jewellery chain with over 200 shops across the country and we take our responsibilities as a major nationwide retailer seriously.
We are committed to operating in an environmentally conscious, diverse and inclusive manner.  We are always mindful of our impact on the natural environment and on how we treat our employees, customers, suppliers and the communities in which we operate. Our continuous desire is to strive to make a positive contribution to the world around us, our people and our valued customers are what make our business what it is today.

Environmental Impact

We are keen to minimise our environmental impact wherever possible. We currently utilise upwards of 75% of recycled metals (silver and gold) and are committed to increasing this percentage even further. We have introduced electronic vehicles in our fleet and we have adopted more environmentally friendly ways of importing goods through our supply chain. We have installed solar panels at our head office and keep under review our use of packaging and use of recycling.
We comply with the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting requirements reporting on our usage annually.

Supply Chain

We will continue to work with our suppliers to ensure that, to the best of our and their knowledge, our supply chain maintains working conditions which meet our own high standards, promotes the welfare of employees and complies with all national requirements.
Our products are sourced from all over the world.  We enjoy, and put trust in, long standing relationships with our suppliers, many of which are family owned businesses.  The fact we have worked with the same people for many years, not only ensures continuity but it gives us reassurance we are working with the right people who share our values.

Policies

We have in place a variety of policies which feed directly into this EESR statement, examples of which include our Modern Slavery Act statement and our Gender Pay Gap statement. We are committed to promoting equal opportunities and of embracing diversity and inclusion within our business. We work with suppliers who have the same values and adhere to our Supplier Code of Practice.

Our Codes of Practice

Our business is fully compliant with UK legislation. We apply all applicable codes of practice including the No Dirty Gold Campaign.
We require all our suppliers to adhere to the Kimberley Process which seeks to tackle the trade in conflict diamonds around the world.  The Kimberley Process is an international certification scheme regulating the commercial sale of diamonds.  It sets minimum standards each participant must meet and is underpinned by a United Nations mandate and is backed by leading civil organisations. As a business that’s passionate about people and the upholding of human rights, we expect our suppliers to guarantee all diamonds supplied to us are conflict free.

Net Zero/Carbon Neutral

We want to make a positive impact on the environment and understand the challenges of climate change. We are working towards making our business carbon neutral as we all do our bit for the long-term future of the planet.

Sustainability

Our way of thinking when it comes to sustainability responsibilities starts right from the top and we adopt a highly efficient, sustainable approach to all of our operations. 
Wherever possible, only the most eco-friendly, recycled metals are used to create our jewellery and we do this without compromising the quality in any way.
We have always approached our operational decision-making in this manner, for example, we realised many years ago that not all jewellery is bought as a gift and so we decided to offer gift boxes as an option rather than handing them out as a matter of course.  This immediately had the impact of reducing the amount of packaging we were using throughout our shops. 
All of our gift packaging is recyclable and continues to be kept to a minimum where possible.  We pledge to continually work in a way which brings positive long-term changes for people and the environment.  

Inclusivity, Equality and Diversity

We have always believed in recruiting the best person for the job, full stop, whoever that may be.  Our Gender Pay Gap policy has been long-established and we are introducing an Equality and Diversity policy so when it comes to our feelings and ethos regarding gender, ethnicity and age equality, we are undoubtably a business with zero-tolerance for any form of inequality.

Bigger Picture

We always give back and support the communities in which we live and operate in a number of ways.  We regularly donate to a number of charities, both local and nationwide, through revenue generated from sales and other personal contributions from our people.  We have worked closely with The Christie NHS Foundation Trust over the years and we are proud of the difference we have made to the lives of people living with cancer and their loved ones. Our staff at Headquarters host Macmillan coffee mornings every year with cakes for days not just a morning!

Lighting 

It may seem like a small thing but we believe big changes start with small steps. The main operation of our business is run from a modern, environmentally friendly building equipped with low voltage lighting throughout which is controlled be automatic light sensors to conserve energy on a daily basis. All of our shops have the same energy saving low voltage lighting to ensure we are conserving power on a nationwide scale.

Ethically aware

From our Modern Slavery Act statement to our anti bribery and corruption principles, we know that taking a strong ethical stance is at the heart of our business. We are meticulous about the quality of our jewellery, which is always priority, and the British Assay Office Hallmark, as required, can be found on our products to give further assurance which can be relied on.