Textile Exchange and Leather Working Group to work on ethical supply chain

A call to action for leather supply chains was developed in partnership between the Leather Working Group (LWG) and Textile Exchange.

The Deforestation-free Call to Action for Leather presents an opportunity to coordinate initiatives taken by the fashion industry to improve leather source transparency. The plan intends to establish regulations for the purchase of leather with the National Wildlife Federation, the Accountability Framework initiative, and the WWF as consulting partners.

Among the first signatories are Adidas, American Eagle Outfitters Inc., AllSaints, Arezzo&Co, BMW Group, Capri Holdings Ltd., H&M Group, Icebug, Kering, Mango, Marks & Spencer, Puma, Range Revolution, Reformation, Roots, R.M.Williams, and Tapestry Inc.

Brands are buying a sizable proportion of leather from LWG-certified facilities, per the statistics. American Eagle, Icebug, Puma, Reformation, Adidas, Capri, M&S, and Coach are a few of them.

One of the most popular worldwide certifications for tanneries and manufacturers in the apparel industry is the Leather Working Group. Facilities are subject to environmental audits by LWG, which include assessments of chemical and waste management. Compliance is recognized with medals. A minimum 65 out of 100 rating is required for facilities.

Farm-level deforestation and leather sourcing without conversion are necessary for the LWG and Textile Exchange project. Signatories must establish and meet supply chain objectives, make farm-level financial investments, implement a traceability system, adhere to conduct standards that protect human rights, and report annual progress using the Leather Road Map, which Textile Exchange has authorized under its Materials Benchmark.

Businesses taking part in the deforestation-free campaign are required, according to the organizations, to set goals within the first six months of joining and to demonstrate their initial financial investment by the end of the first year.