03 December 2021

Apply now to conduct audits on behalf of the Leather Working Group Are you an experienced independent environmental auditor or consultant in the field of leather technology? Do you have a good working knowledge of the Leather Working Group and the LWG Audit Standards. If yes, apply to become LWG-approved auditor today! Due to the continued growth of our membership, we are currently seeking to approve two new auditors to carry out audits using our proprietary audit standards for leather manufacturers, traders, subcontractors, and commissioning manufacturers. In particular, we are looking to approve auditors based in China and Italy, as these regions are seeing significant...

01 December 2021

The Leather Working Group (LWG) has launched updated versions of two existing LWG Audit Standards. LWG Trader Audit Originally launched in 2017, the LWG Trader Audit Protocol (TAP) was designed to assess traders of leather at various points in the supply chain. The assessment provides greater transparency into the trading of part-processed and finished material. The TAP was last updated to Version 3.0 in late 2019, which allowed traders of finished leather to gain certification for the first time.  TAP 4.0 aligns more closely with Version 7 of the LWG Leather Manufacturer Audit Protocol (LMAP), which became mandatory in August 2021, with a particular focus on...

01 December 2021

Join us in welcoming our the newest members of the LWG! Several new member organisations joined the Leather Working Group between 1-30 November 2021. See our new members below: Brands/Retailers Aunts & Uncles Cha Deadly Ponies Reiss The White Company In addition, more companies have become certified this past month. See below the leather manufacturers, traders, subcontractors, and commissioning manufacturers that have recently joined LWG for the first time: Leather Manufacturers Cape Karoo International (Pty) Ltd (Mossel Bay) Finileather Couros e Acabamento Ltda. Leather Traders AM Leathers SRL Co.ra.pel. Srl Famaz International...

20 November 2021

20 November 2021, Northampton, UK — A new mapping project will be the first to thoroughly evaluate the leather industry and its impacts on deforestation. Last week, leaders and activists from around the world met at COP 26, adding momentum to the urgent need for the global community to end deforestation and advance more sustainable outcomes for people and the planet. The project, a collaboration between National Wildlife Federation, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Leather Working Group (LWG) and the Gibbs Land Use and Environment Lab (GLUE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), will tackle deforestation and its links to leather supply chains. The group is united in their goal to...

12 November 2021

Northampton, UK — 12 November 2021: The Leather Working Group (LWG) announces the launch of the largest lifecycle assessment (LCA) for the leather industry, to investigate the environmental impact of leather made in LWG-certified facilities.   Working with Milan-based sustainability consultancy Spin360, the LWG kicks off the first phase of their lifecycle assessment of leather, which will be based on the material made in LWG-certified leather manufacturing facilities.   Bruno Kestenband, Leather Responsible Sourcing Manager at Richemont...

05 November 2021

Download PDF Press Release 5 November 2021 — Northampton, UK: The Leather Working Group (LWG) are committed to accelerating the traceability requirements of the LWG Leather Manufacturer Audit in a drive to achieve their goal for LWG leather to be 100% deforestation and conversion free (DCF). Promises by more than 100 global leaders at the COP26 climate change summit this week to end and reverse deforestation by 2030 is an important agreement, which the global community must act upon. The leather sector must drive traceability and cross industry partnerships to monitor and support supply chains to affect positive change Christina Trautmann, LWG Programme Manager, said:...

02 November 2021

Global leather industry sign Leather Manifesto ahead of the UN’s climate change summit  In the run up to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, international leather industry leaders have signed the Leather Manifesto, calling on decision-makers to prioritise natural fibres such as leather, cotton and wool over synthetic, fossil fuels-based materials, as well as recognise their potential for helping to reduce the environmental impacts of consumer products.  Spearheaded by the Leather & Hide Council of America (LHCA), the Manifesto has been...

02 November 2021

What is COP26 and what does it mean for the leather industry?  During the first two weeks of November, world leaders, policymakers, NGOs, and businesses will all descend on the city of Glasgow for talks on how to tackle climate change and understand the current progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  What is COP26?  COP stands for ‘Council of Parties’, referring to those governments that signed the UNFCCC in the 1990s. COP26 is the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (UNCCC), the 26th summit in the series.   The UNCCC is the...

02 November 2021

Industry expert, Stuart Cranfield, to support the implementation of the new LWG Social Audit requirement  The LWG Leather Manufacturer Audit Protocol 7 introduced a social audit requirement, transforming it into a holistic, ESG-oriented audit standard. The LWG will recognise leading social audits from third-party providers, to avoid duplication of efforts and support current initiatives working towards alignment and standardization. More information on our requirements, as well as a list of currently recognised social audits and certifications, can be found on the Social Responsibility section of our website.  To support the implementation...

02 November 2021

LWG announces a plan to collaborate directly with CETPs and METPs to collect effluent data centrally  As part of the LWG auditing process, LWG Auditors record details on the facility’s effluent treatment system, including information on the quality of the effluent discharged to the environment. This is a protocol requirement irrespective of whether final discharge is from an in-house tannery effluent treatment plant, a common effluent treatment plant (CETP), or a municipal effluent treatment plant (METP). For the latter two, in locations that contain tannery clusters and where LWG engagement is high, this can result in the METP/CETP being...

01 November 2021

Join us in welcoming our new members in October 2021! Several new member organisations joined the Leather Working Group between 1-31 October 2021. See our new members below. Brands/Retailers We welcomed 10 new Brand/Retailer members of the LWG this month: Ar Leder Kurk Sanayi. Ve Ticaret. Arbesko AB Aunts & Uncles K - Mail Order Verwaltungs Mint Velvet Mark's Work Wearhouse Ltd Neri Karra Netraco Garments B.V. (inc. Goosecraft, Ibana, DNA Amsterdam) Oakwood (CUIRCO DIFFUSION) Reiss Associations/NGOs We were pleased to be able to welcome one new NGO through our group/association membership route: National Wildlife Federation...

26 October 2021

LWG Members can now access the French and Italian translations of P7  The LWG Leather Manufacturer Audit Protocol 7 (Also known as “P7”), was first launched in February and became mandatory on 22 August 2021. The protocol is available in English as standard, and the LWG is also committed to translating the document into key languages based on the global spread of LWG-certified leather manufacturers.  At present, the LWG official translates its audit documentation in to six languages:  Chinese (Simplified...