Our Long Legacy of Sustainability
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Sustainability has been part of our company ethos since the beginning, when Daniel Swarovski harnessed local hydroelectric power for his revolutionary crystal-cutting machine in Wattens, Austria. He also introduced far-reaching social support for the time—providing affordable housing for workers, building a local school, and caring for their health, safety, and wellbeing. These visionary principles of fairness to communities and respect for the environment continue to shape our business to this day.
1895
Daniel’s Vision
Daniel Swarovski establishes a pioneering crystal-cutting factory in Tyrolean Wattens. Using hydropower for his patented grinding processes, Daniel’s vision is to craft affordable crystals that are accessible to all.
1907
Harnessing the Power of Water
Our business builds its own hydropower plant, providing
clean “Swarovski power” for cutting machines and light for local communities.
clean “Swarovski power” for cutting machines and light for local communities.
1948
Supporting Employees
A new company-owned welfare office begins offering support on social issues, establishes many employee social clubs, and donates grounds for a local school, reinforcing that employee health, safety, and wellbeing have always been paramount for us.
1960
Offering Scholarships
'The Daniel and Marie Swarovski Trust' is founded, providing scholarships to high grade pupils and low-income families in Tyrol.
1970
Towards Hybrid Furnaces
Our first combined gas and electric furnace is installed, reducing our reliance on
fossil fuels for manufacturing.
1983
Collaboration in Renewable Energy
We work alongside the Wattens paper factory to commission the Wattenbach hydropower plant, capable of producing approximately
55 GWh of energy each year.
1990
Less Carbon Dioxide
By replacing oil with natural gas for melting and heating, we cut our CO2 emissions by 30%.
2005
Providing Affordable Housing
Swarovski builds 58 new houses, to help employees rent or buy a home to live at a moderate price.
2010
Becoming a Member of the UNGC
Swarovski joins the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.
2014
A More Responsible Supply Chain
We launch the Responsible Sourcing Initiative, helping suppliers manage socio-environmental risks in their production plants.
2015
Leading on Lead
After dramatically reducing the lead content of Swarovski Crystals to just 0.009% in 2012, the quest for continuous improvement drives Swarovski reduce the lead content further to no more than 0.004%.
2021
Mitigating Global Warming
Swarovski signs up to the Science Based Targets initiative, which means making a commitment to reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 47%, and Scope 3 emissions by 28% by 2030.
2022
Sourcing More Renewable Energy
We achieve our biggest ever year-on-year reduction of Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, aided by shifting all our Asian manufacturing sites to renewable electricity, including on-site solar power.
2024
Swarovski on Fifth Secures LEED Platinum Certification
Our New York flagship, Swarovski on Fifth, achieved the premier green building accolade as it was granted LEED Platinum certification. The certification means the building has met the highest level of sustainability and environmental performance standards.
2024
Our Most Sustainable Crystals
The Swarovski ReCreated™ Crystals range launches. Our most sustainable crystals to date are made from breakages that occur during the manufacturing process. The fragments are remelted to form crystals in new colors. This method uses at least 40% fewer natural resources compared to our standard crystals.
Acting responsibly has been embedded in our values since 1895.
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