LWG Animal Welfare Group (AWG)
The LWG Animal Welfare Group (AWG) is a separately funded educational subcommittee of the Leather Working Group. The AWG is designed to help educate members of the leather value chain on the salient aspects of animal welfare.
The AWG's primary outputs to date including 26+ country profile reports and an animal welfare guide (created in partnership with RSPA & Progressive Beef), tailored for companies operating within the leather supply chain.
LWG Environmental Impact Working Group (EIWG)
The LWG Environmental Impact Working Group (EIWG) was launched in 2021, designed to as a platform for engagement and education on the environmental impact of leather, as well as investigating ways to reduce the impact of the leather value chain. The group has spearheaded several important projects, including the LWG Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) study.
LWG Supplier Sub-Group (SSG)
The LWG Supplier Sub-Group aims to provide a platform for supplier members of the group to make a significant contribution to the LWG objectives and assist in resolving industry issues. All supplier members are automatically members of the SSG, and an EC member chairs the group.
LWG Tannery of the Future (TOTF) Sub-Group
The TOTF Sub-Group exists to develop, maintain and implement the ‘LWG Tannery of the Future – Are You Ready for an Audit?’ self-assessment tool. Launched in 2019, it supports leather manufacturers in their journey towards environmental excellence and LWG-certification. Designed as an easy-to-read questionnaire, the tool allows tanneries to:
- Evaluate their current environmental and social performance
- Identify areas where there is room for improvement
- Understand how ready they are to undergo an LWG audit.
LWG Technical Sub-Group (TSG)
The LWG Technical Sub-Group (TSG) exists to create, develop and review the LWG Audit Standards and all other technical content regarding their scope. TSG members are appointed on the basis of technical experience.
LWG Traceability Working Group (TrWG)
The LWG Traceability Working Group (TRWG) was launched in 2020 to:
- Define what traceability means on country level, including: deforestation, animal welfare, and the predominant regional slaughter type
- Understand what traceability needs to achieve and what the priorities are
- Establish what solutions exist to facilitate better traceability
- Define a way to assess and measure the requirements in the protocol
- Improve traceability along the value chain, primarily through phasing requirements into the audit protocol