LWG advances traceability approach to combat deforestation in the leather supply chain

The Leather Working Group (LWG) has pledged to accelerate the traceability requirements of the LWG Leather Manufacturer Audit as quickly as possible in order to meet their aim of zero deforestation and conversion in LWG leather (DCF).

More than 100 world leaders pledged this week at the COP26 climate change meeting to cease and reverse deforestation by 2030, which is a significant commitment that the international community must implement. To effect positive change, the leather industry must promote traceability and cross-industry alliances to monitor and assist supply chains.

Christina Trautmann, LWG Programme Manager, said that achieving the objective of deforestation and conversion-free leather is a crucial priority unifying its members. The LWG is paving a route for the leather industry to address the rallying call of the climate catastrophe by prioritizing their traceability efforts and working in conjunction with professional partners such as the NWF and WWF.

The current version of the LWG Leather Manufacturer Audit, P7, has tightened standards for assessing incoming and exiting material for all audited locations in order to generate the desired step shift in leather traceability. Additional requirements for hides produced from Brazil and Paraguay were created in partnership with WWF and NWF, two organizations with large initiatives and experience fighting to decrease deforestation in South America.

LWG is currently building a thorough traceability roadmap that will enable incremental measures to enhance transparency and engagement across the leather sector in order to prepare the way for the future. With a clear plan in place to guarantee that traceability criteria are examined and validated, DCF leather can be achieved.

The LWG Traceability Working Group, now in its second year, allows LWG members to directly interact with initiatives and methods that the LWG plans to deploy as the traceability roadmap is implemented.