One of the world’s largest diamond producers, accounting for 30% of global output, has achieved a verified negative CO₂ footprint for its natural diamonds — a scientific milestone that could transform the diamond industry’s environmental narrative.
Groundbreaking research conducted over three years by the ALROSA Innovation and Technology Center, in collaboration with scientists from Lomonosov Moscow State University and several leading research institutions, has demonstrated that diamond-bearing ore from the company’s deposits in Yakutia and the Arkhangelsk region can actively absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during production.
According to the findings, the kimberlite ore from these mines is capable of capturing approximately one million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent each year — a level of carbon absorption comparable to 400,000 hectares of forest, or around four times the size of New York City.
Researchers identified that the process of carbon capture is significantly enhanced by the company’s technological production cycle, which includes the extraction, processing, and controlled storage of the ore. This accelerates natural carbonisation, the process through which CO₂ binds to kimberlite minerals and transforms into stable carbonates. Importantly, the study confirmed that once absorbed, the carbon remains permanently locked, with no risk of being released back into the atmosphere.
Following these results, the company was awarded an internationally recognised verification certificate from TÜV Austria Standards & Compliance Ltd., confirming the carbon neutrality of its diamonds and verifying a “negative” carbon footprint of –0.71 kg CO₂-equivalent per carat produced in 2024.
Given that the miner accounts for nearly a third of global natural diamond output, industry experts believe this discovery could substantially reduce the sector’s overall carbon footprint. With synthetic diamond production expanding rapidly, this breakthrough offers renewed environmental credibility to natural diamonds and could reshape perceptions across global markets.
Pavel Marinychev, CEO, ALROSA:
— We became the world’s first mining company to have its products officially recognized as carbon neutral in full annual production volume, not only thanks to the proven ability of diamond-bearing rock to capture and bind CO₂, but also thanks to the company’s systematic efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use its own renewable energy.
Lin Qiang, president, Shanghai Diamond Exchange:
— This research will surely become a powerful argument in favor of choosing natural diamonds. This development will make natural diamond jewelry even more appealing to consumers, especially younger generations. I see great potential in this discovery for the world diamond industry: it is important that other companies shall also aim to achieve carbon neutrality.
Nosiphiwo Mzamo, CEO, State Diamond Trader of South Africa:
— The findings are significant for the entire diamond industry, particularly because lab-grown diamonds — produced at scale outside of diamond-producing countries — are often assumed to be more environmentally friendly. In reality, the production of most of them requires significant energy consumption; and at industrial scale, this energy often comes from “dirty” sources such as coal and oil.
