Background of the LWG

The Leather Working Group (LWG) was formed in April 2005 to promote sustainable and appropriate environmental stewardship practices within the leather industry. As part of this the LWG created a protocol to accurately assess the compliance and environmental stewardship practices of leather manufacturers. The group endeavours to promote improvement in the tanning industry by creating alignment on environmental priorities by bringing visibility to best practices and providing guidelines for continual improvement. It is the group’s objective to work transparently, involving tanners, brands, retailers and other relevant supply chain representation with input from leading centres of excellence within the leather industry and the utilisation of peer reviews from NGO bodies, academic institutions and other stakeholder organisations.