Leather Working Group

Nonprofit Leather Working Group (LWG) has come up with a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study aimed at providing accurate and updated insights into the environmental impact of leather production, supporting stakeholders in reducing environmental footprints and making informed decisions.

The detrimental environmental impact of bovine leather has been reduced by a significant 60% on the just updated Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI), Leather Working Group and Leather Naturally have announced.

The Leather Working Group and ZDHC Foundation have announced a move to collaborate in order to advance sustainable chemical management in leather manufacturing by harminising their respective standards.

The cross-sector Deforestation-Free Call to Action for Leather has World Wildlife Fund (WWF) joining in as partner to help galvanise efforts toward ending deforestation and conversion of natural ecosystems linked to cattle farming.

The Leather Working Group has worked out a guide to help stakeholders across the leather industry value chain to help them navigate business under the ambit of the European Green Deal and the 2030 EU Biodiversity Strategy.

Nonprofits Textile Exchange and Leather Working Group have together launched a global initiative to address deforestation and promote sustainable practices within the leather industry to create transparent and equitable supply chains, protecting natural ecosystems.

European trade body COTANCE has formed the Leather Traceability Cluster to align leather traceability schemes in a bid to reduce audit fatigue in tanneries and avoid unproductive costs for the leather value chain.

Each stakeholder in the leather industry, be it the tanner, trader, supplier or customer must get involved to get leather to a safe place in the mind of new younger consumers, and throughout the supply network involved. There are no impossible hurdles for a determined leather industry to make great strides quickly and set an achievable target date with milestones.

With the intent to ensure that the cost of preserving forest is shared more equitably by the two ends of the supply chain and between majority and minority world countries, Textile Exchange and the Leather Working Group (LWG) are putting out a call to action for brands and retailers to commit to sourcing all their leather from verified deforestation-free supply chains by 2030 or earlier.

A 'Leather Manifesto' has exhorted the COP27 to recognise the cyclical, climate-efficient characteristics of leather and other natural fibres. It also urged the COP27 to understand the implications of the huge amounts of raw material of leather production, hides and skins, that are currently being thrown away.