30 November 2020

Learn more about the newly developed LWG Marketing Claims Framework on how to communication about LWG to your customers. The Leather Working Group has developed a formal process for brands and retailers to follow when talking to consumers about LWG, to ensure all claims are accurate and transparent. As such, we will host webinars to go through the current draft of the framework in detail in December 2020. The LWG Marketing Claims Framework has been developed over 2020 to give Brand/Retailer Members clear guidance on how to communicate about the Leather Working Group, what membership to the group means, and how sourcing from LWG-certified manufacturers is beneficial. Scheduled to go...

09 November 2020

Following the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the LWG began granting 3-month certificate extensions in late February 2020. After which, when it was clear that the global situation was worsening, all leather manufacturers that were currently under certification received a 12-month extension from mid-May. The timelines now indicate that re-audits are due to re-start shortly, while travel to many countries is still not possible. Fortunately, LWG can now offer a temporary solution for when travel restrictions exist and there is no auditor present in the same country as the leather manufacturer wishing to be re-audited. This solution will be temporary and is effective from when it was...

09 November 2020

Next up in the LWG Webinar Series is an online training on the topic of Social Auditing within the context of leather manufacturing and related facilities. As the LWG will be introducing a social auditing requirement as part of the LWG certification in the next iterations of the protocol, we have organised this webinar to introduce this topic to our members. The webinar will cover current elements that are considered during a social audit and provide a review of existing standards.  To date, the LWG Webinar Series has offered training on the following topics:  Audit...

09 November 2020

The LWG Executive Committee welcomes new EC members Adidas and Industria del Curtido (INCUSA) to represent the Brand/Retailer and Leather Manufacturer membership respectively. For our outgoing members, Sadesa and Clarks, we thank you for your hard work and contribution to the group and welcome your continued engagement.  Furthermore, as a result of Daniel Gordon’s departure, a new Chair has been elected by the existing members of the committee. We sincerely thank Daniel for his time and dedication over the past four years. As the new Chairman of the EC, we are happy...

09 November 2020

All LWG-certified leather manufacturers will be granted free access to the ZDHC Gateway - Chemical Module 9 November 2020 - Northampton, UK & Amsterdam, The Netherlands The Leather Working Group (LWG) and the ZDHC Foundation have agreed to provide free access to the ZDHC Gateway for all leather manufacturers currently holding a valid LWG audit certification. The access to the ZDHC Gateway will support the leather manufacturers to implement the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (ZDHC MRSL) and further streamline implementation efforts of the industry, including manufacturers, brands and chemical companies. Christina Trautmann, LWG Operations Manager, said:...

09 November 2020

We announced at the recent LWG Member’s Webinar what some of our future plans are for the group, particularly in response to the main priorities of the industry as reported by our members in the annual LWG Member Survey earlier this year.  As a group, we agree that there needs to be more focus on multiple different areas, including: stricter environmental targets; social responsibility; sustainability; effluent treatment; chemicals; and traceability. What are we doing in response to this?  Protocol 7  We are currently working...

09 November 2020

Following the announcement in September, the Leather Working Group is pleased to confirm that the new LWG Traceability Working Group (TWG) has been finalised. The group is comprised of brand and leather manufacturer members of the group, as well as a representative from the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).   The working group will review LWG’s current traceability definitions and the requirements within our audit protocols and consider how to facilitate better traceability across the leather value chain. In particular, the group will help to...

09 November 2020

In our most successful webinar yet, we welcomed over 150 attendees to the LWG Member Webinar, hosted on Tuesday 20th October 2020. We arranged the meeting to functionally replace our Milan meeting, which usually takes place in the autumn alongside the Lineapelle leather fair.   The presentations included an overview of the new audit protocols for the assessment of subcontractors and commissioning manufacturers, as well as update on the key changes that will be introduced in Version 7.0 of the LWG Environmental Audit Protocol (P7), scheduled for launch in Q1 2021.   We also announced our collaboration with ZDHC, and that all LWG certified leather...

09 November 2020

If you have visited the Leather Working Group homepage recently, you may have noticed that we have a new look!  Our team has been evaluating our online presence and how we can better serve our members over the past year, and so made the decision to revamp our homepage as a first step towards bettering our member’s experience and helping new visitors find the most relevant information about our group.  We launched the new homepage for the LWG website in late October 2020 and includes:  Quick links to our most visited pages  An Events block for information our next meeting or...

05 October 2020

The Leather Working Group has launched a two new standard designed to assess manufacturers completing subcontracting operations on behalf of their customers and companies commissioning 100% of their operations out to subcontractors.   LWG Subcontractor Audit Protocol  At present, when a leather manufacturer is assessed using the LWG Environmental Audit Protocol any subcontractors they use during their production process are included via a Mini Audit Report. As a result, any company completing subcontract work for a client may be assessed multiple times as their customers undergo an audit, but they do...

04 September 2020

Guest Contributor: Mauricio Bauer (Senior Corporate Engagement Specialist at National Wildlife Federation   The Amazon is a jungle larger than Western Europe and a crucial natural protection against climate change. It is a major source of the world’s fresh water and its vegetation is a giant filter for greenhouse gases. Although more than 80% of the original Amazon still stands, deforestation has accelerated in recent years driven by logging, soy, and cattle ranching, stimulated by ever increasing global demand. From 1964 to 1985, Government strategies of Amazonian integration led to the development of logistical infrastructure and promotion of migration to the region...

05 October 2020

The Leather Working Group (LWG) recognises the importance of transparency and traceability within the supply chain.  It is only through transparency of supply that consumers, brands, and their supply chain can ensure that the materials used in products can be sustainably selected and sourced.   Full transparency and traceability of all types of raw materials is a fundamental building block to ensure that inappropriate exploitation of people, places, and damage to the environment (such as deforestation and pollution) do not take place. For new members to LWG and as a reminder to our long-term members, it is important to understand a brief history of the group’s...