PearlPoints
Empowering sustainability in pearl farming
The world's first pearl farming assessment tool supporting environmental, social, and corporate governance.
Pix washers in action
Image credit : Pearls of Australia,
Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, Western Australia
Helping pearl farmers unlock their sustainability potential
The environmental impact of pearl farming is determined by how efficiently resources such as land, water, and farming infrastructure are used, and the consequences of their use – positive and negative – on the ecosystems and communities in which farmers work.
PearlPoints allows pearl farmers to explore a range of environmental impacts associated with their activities. It provides basic guidance on key environmental indicators, including:
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- Nutrient release and extraction
- Land and marine use
PearlPoints also helps farmers understand if they are effectively considering ecological, social, and corporate governance (ESG) in their business.
With this information, pearl farmers can:
- Improve the data they collect, monitor, and report to better understand their environmental impact
- Make more informed decisions about priority sustainability strategies and impact management
- Plan the next steps of their sustainability journey
Pix holding tanks
Image credit : Pearls of Australia,
Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, Western Australia
The research
Using The Nature Conservancy's ESG assessment framework for aquaculture, PearlPoints was developed to help pearl farmers take a first look at the impact of their activities.
By consolidating key criteria into a single, harmonized, open, and evidence-based tool, PearlPoints is a simple way to start your sustainability journey
Read more about why ESG could catalyze the next phase of sustainable aquaculture development.
Impact frameworks and methodologies
Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as Global Goals, are a set of 17 integrated and interrelated goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that humanity enjoys peace and prosperity by 2030.
Reporting on the SDGs is important in communicating to stakeholders the company's commitment to contributing to the Global Goals, claiming accountability and responsibility to take the necessary actions, and measuring progress over time.
PearlPoints guides sustainability across two key needs:
- Understanding and measuring life cycle impacts
- A farmer's approach to ESG
Businesses are increasingly required to report how their commitments contribute to climate and biodiversity goals. Global initiatives such as the Science-Based Targets (SBTi) and the GHG Protocol are helping businesses set meaningful targets and monitor progress to make change.
Environmental, Social and Governance reporting
ESG is designed to incorporate the needs of nature and people into a company or organization's strategy. It takes a holistic view of impacts and uses metrics that can deliver long-term, enduring sustainability and community outcomes, including environmental actions but also policies for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
ReCiPe methodology
ReCiPe is a method for life cycle impact assessment developed in 2008 by RIVM, Radboud University Nijmegen, Leiden University, and PRé Sustainability. ReCiPe transforms the long list of impacts that arise from production activities, documented in a life cycle inventory, into a range of key indicators and indicator scores. These indicator scores express the relative severity on an environmental impact category.
Pix Akoya in hands
Image credit : Pearls of Australia
Broken Bay Pearl Farm New South Wales
Know your impact
We are committed to supporting pearl farmers as they work to continually improved their sustainability and reduce their environmental impact.
By providing information about your impacts, PearlPoints can help you accelerate your approach to ESG and achieve your environmental goals.
Tap the iPhone to ACTIVATE the Impact Tool.
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
“The Pearl"
Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) of pearl production reveals fuel consumption as the primary environmental concern, driving marine ecotoxicity and global warming impacts.
Oysters, as filter-feeders, counterbalance this by capturing pollutants and promoting seaweed growth, potentially mitigating the industry's environmental footprint through responsible farming practices
Disclaimer: These recommendations, based on an actual LCA, served as a foundation for our tool's development. Note that this isn't the PearlPoints report you'll receive but highlights key sustainable practices: fuel reduction, data efficiency, scale optimisation, and waste rethinking. Your individual report will be tailored to your pearl production.
Practical Recommendations
"The Operations"
- Fuel Reduction: Invest in renewables and eco-vehicles.
- Data Efficiency: Segregate activities, integrate data for productivity and sustainability.
- Scale Operation: Optimize stocking and enhance quality.
- Waste Rethink: Use durable gear, bio-materials, and circular practices. Infrastructure impacts vary but generally decrease as fuel use reduces
The Nature Conservancy
PearlPoints
Pix Akoya Oysters
Image credit : Pearls of Australia
Broken Bay Pearl Farm New South Wales
PearlPoints is a collaboration by GIA*, The Nature Conservancy, The Sustainable Value Generator, and Everledger, with support from Key Traceability.
Pearls of Australia recognised generous collaborator in data, expertise and content
PearlPoints is funded by GIA. Developed and designed by Everledger.
*GIA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism. For more information, please visit gia.edu. GIA is not affiliated with The Nature Conservancy nor EverLedger.