Leather Industry Organisations Start Work on Alignment of Leather Traceability Schemes

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.

Staff Writer

2 March 2023

3 minutes

Long Story, Cut Short

The Terms of Reference foresee the enlargement of the group to relevant intergovernmental organisations and livestock sector organisations.
The initiative on alignment of Leather Traceability Schemes was launched at the last Lineapelle Fair in September 2022.
The next meeting of the Leather Traceability Cluster is scheduled for 16 March.

Three major leather industry organisations have started working towards alignment of leather traceability schemes.

The first to sign the agreement are the Leather Working Group, ICEC-The Certification Institute for the leather sector, and the Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF).
The initiative which aims to create alignment of leather traceability schemes is led by COTANCE (Confederation of National Associations of Tanners and Dressers of the European Community).
The three organisations signed the agreement at the Lineapelle Fair in Milan held last month. Oekotex and Textile Exchange, who were not in attendance at Lineapelle, are expected to follow at the next opportunity.

The Backdrop: The initiative on alignment of Leather Traceability Schemes was launched at the last Lineapelle Fair in September 2022.

Since then, it has progressed at monthly meetings in which the main leather-relevant certification scheme owners and interested CEN TC 289 Standardisation experts have prepared together with the COTANCE Secretariat the way for defining the minimum essential elements of traceability and evidence of verification to be present in a scheme.
The main leather-relevant certification scheme owners and interested CEN TC 289 Standardisation experts have agreed to work together pre-competitively to define the minimum essential elements of traceability and evidence of verification to be present in a scheme that assesses leather traceability.
During their last meeting held online on 27 January, the industry organisations agreed on the final touches to be given to the Terms of Reference that will thereafter govern their convergence endeavours.
The signature process started at the Lineapelle Fair in Milan held from 21-23 February. The next meeting of the Leather Traceability Cluster, as the working group has been named, is scheduled for 16 March.
The Terms of Reference foresee the enlargement of the group to relevant intergovernmental organisations and livestock sector organisations.

What They Said:

I am very thrilled with this development, because if we succeed to bring this initiative to a successful conclusion, we will provide the industry with leather traceability tools that will exclude typical standards and audit fatigue in tanneries and avoid unproductive costs for the leather value chain.

— Gustavo Gonzalez-Quijano
Secretary General
COTANCE

Collaboration and alignment on the critical issue of traceability is fundamental for the global leather industry to achieve sustainability at scale. The Leather Working Group welcomes and supports this positive initiative, as an important step towards achieving a harmonised approach for all the actors in our industry.

— Ian Scher
Chair
Leather Working Group

This is a positive initiative that will provide clarity and alignment for all stakeholders in the leather value chain. Traceability provides the foundation for sustainability risk assessment and ESG reporting, so as a cluster of standard setting bodies, if we can agree on the same basic parameters and requirements to demonstrate robust traceability, then we are providing a valuable pathway for our industry. We are looking forward to working together for this goal.

— Deborah Taylor
Managing Director
Sustainable Leather Foundation

I think that we shall do a great work in this pre-competitive space. Thanks to this opportunity finally we shall align and discuss on issues that are essential but currently not completely aligned. All this in the interest of the leather sector.

— Sabrina Frontini
Director
ICEC, The Certification Institute for the Leather Sector

Leather Industry Organisations Start Work on Alignment of Leather Traceability Schemes

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.

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