Global Fashion Houses, NGOs Call on Industry to Commit to Deforestation-Free Leather | Sustainable Brands

In an effort to rally global industry support of sustainable practices
within the leather industry, nonprofit organizations Textile
Exchange and Leather Working
Group (LWG) have joined forces to
launch a Deforestation-Free Call to Action for
Leather.
This initiative aims to create transparent and equitable supply chains,
protecting our natural ecosystems.

Leather’s destructive legacy

Cattle rearing is one of the main drivers of deforestation around the world —
along with other commodities such as soy and palm oil; a recent Guardian
investigation
found the cattle industry alone has cut down 800 million trees in the Amazon
in the past six years. It also contributes to the conversion of natural
ecosystems such as grasslands and savannahs to farmland. While beef production
is what drives cattle farming, the leather industry has an opportunity to
influence change.

Industries are at varying stages of tackling deforestation and
conversion in their supply chains. For brands and retailers that are using leather, they have the task
of transforming long, complex, and often opaque supply chains to be able to
address the issue directly and drive positive change at the source.

The Deforestation-Free Call to Action for Leather

Textile Exchange, Leather Working Group and their 16 initial signatories are calling on the fashion industry and retailers to commit to sourcing all of their bovine
leather from deforestation-free supply chains by 2030 or earlier. The guidelines
were developed in consultation with WWF, the National Wildlife
Federation and the Accountability Framework initiative. The initiative
sets clear expectations for brands, providing them with tools and guidance to
support them on the journey.

Initial signatories include luxury fashion groups Capri
Holdings (parent
company of Versace, Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors),
Kering (owner of Balenciaga, Bottega
Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and YSL) and
Tapestry (home to
Coach,
Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman); along with BMW
Group and fashion giants adidas,
American Eagle Outfitters, AllSaints, Arezzo&Co, H&M Group,
Icebug, Mango, Marks & Spencer (M&S), PUMA, bag and
luggage brand Range Revolution, Reformation,
Roots, and boot brand R.M.Williams.

“With growing concerns about climate change, the loss of biodiversity and
plastic pollution, our world is facing an environmental crisis. At Puma, we are
ready to act and contribute to solutions,” a brand representative said in a
statement.
“Puma aims to reduce its impact on biodiversity, so we commit to sourcing all
the bovine leather used in our products from verified deforestation-free supply
chains by 2030. Puma aims to end deforestation to protect wildlife habitat and
biodiversity and preserve carbon stocks to mitigate climate change for bovine
leather (from cattle, primarily raised for beef production).”

Leather plays a major role in many of the signatories’ offerings; and while more
and more major apparel brands are beginning to incorporate
plant-based
and
non-bovine
leather alternatives, uptake is not nearly fast enough to upset global demand
for bovine leather. As Yahoo! Finance pointed
out,
many signatories had already established targets to ensure ethical and
sustainable leather sourcing before this call to action — with many already
sourcing the majority of their leather from LWG-certified facilities: adidas
claims to source 99 percent of its leather from LWG-certified facilities, as
well as American Eagle (100 percent), Capri (91 percent), Coach (70 percent for
leather goods, 99 percent for footwear), Icebug (100 percent), M&S (90 percent),
Puma (100 percent, for footwear), Range Revolution (100 percent, for luggage)
and Reformation (100 percent).

Objectives of the Call to Action

The call to action for deforestation-free leather has outlined several key
objectives aimed at transforming the leather industry and promoting
sustainability. It seeks to catalyze change within the entire leather value
chain though collective action. By aligning their actions and directing their
buying power, brands can help drive sustainable practices at a greater scale.

The initiative emphasizes the need for a more equitable distribution of
responsibility and
investment
in protecting forests and ecosystems. It encourages engagement and investment —
rather than divestment — that will ideally lead to an increase the number of
that are cattle farms that are verified deforestation-free and can provide a
deforestation-free source of hides to the leather industry at scale.

Greater traceability, visibility and improved
communication
within the long and complex textile supply chains is also essential to support
the aims of the initiative — working towards greater transparency will allow
brands to reward and promote deforestation and conversion-free practice.

Lastly, the initiative emphasizes the importance of reporting collective
progress, highlighting the positive changes being made by participating brands
to foster ever-greater transparency within the
industry.
These objectives together form a comprehensive approach to addressing
deforestation and driving sustainability in the leather sector.

Looking ahead

The launch of the Deforestation-Free Call to Action for Leather marks an
important milestone in the leather industry’s journey toward enforcing brand
accountability regarding commitments to sustainable and responsible leather
sourcing. As more brands sign on and commit to the initiative, the collective
impact could be significant. The increased availability of and demand for
verified deforestation-free leather will contribute to a more sustainable and
transparent industry — fostering collaboration and inspiring further innovation,
and helping to safeguard the health of global ecosystems going forward.