Swedish Tanners Association, along with 30 other international leather industry organizations, call on the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow 31st Oct – 12th Nov to prioritise natural materials as a means of directly mitigating climate impact. The “Leather Manifesto,” written by the organisations, challenges the COP26 to recognise the cyclical, climate-efficient characteristics of natural fibres and their potential to reduce the climate impacts of consumer products.

Our Materials Impact our Climate

The world needs materials that are sustainable, renewable, recyclable, biodegradable, and most importantly, do not add to the burden of atmospheric carbon.

Natural fibres, such as leather, cotton, wool, mohair, alpaca, silk, hemp and mycelium, are part of the biogenic carbon cycle and as such are comprised of carbon that has been in the atmosphere for a millennia.

These readily available raw materials, when ethically and properly produced, are an important replacement for fossil fuels, reducing the need for its extraction and retaining more carbon in the earth.

Furthermore, at the end of life, properly produced natural materials will biodegrade, limiting their impact and mitigating harmful emissions, such as microplastic pollution, often associated with the synthetic materials that they replace.

With particular reference to leather, the leather manufacturing sector upcycles an unavoidable waste from the food industry, to produce a versatile, durable, unique material, ideal for the circular economy that the world must move towards.

However, these same materials are often dismissed through a lack of understanding of the manufacturing process and its supply chain, or through the application of questionable science generally in the form of incomplete and incomparable or out-dated Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), and the marketing of new, often fossil fuel-based materials claiming unsubstantiated levels of sustainability.

As shown by some emerging climate science studies, such as the GWP* model, production and use of biogenic materials typically does not add to the warming burden of the atmosphere, and where it does, the effects are short-lived. This is in contrast to materials produced from fossil-fuels, which release carbon that has been locked in the earth’s core for a millennia, and will persist in the environment, contributing to climate change.

Therefore, we, the undersigned organisations, call on the COP26 forum to…

…Recognise the cyclical, climate efficient nature of natural fibres and their potential for a positive contribution to reducing the climate impacts of consumer products.

…Encourage the use of natural fibres wherever feasible and reduce unnecessary reliance on fossil-fuel-based materials.

…Support LCA methodologies that accurately account for the environmental impact of fossil-fuel based materials, including end of life properties.

…Promote ‘slow fashion’, durable products, and items that can be used many times, repaired and refurbished, and last for years.

Signatories to the Leather Manifesto

Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Curtumes (APIC – Portugal Tanners’s Association)

Asociación Española del Curtido (ACEXPIEL – Spanish Tanners’ Association)

Assocation of Dutch Hide Traders (V.N.H.)

Australiean Hide Skin and Leather Exporters’ Association Inc. (AHSLEA)

Cámara de la Industria de Curtiduría – México (CANALCUR)

Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB)

Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias do Couro (CTIC – Leather Center in Portugal)

China Leather Industry Association

Confederation of National Associations of Tanners and Dressers of the European Community (COTANCE)

Dutch Association of Leather Chemists & Technicians (NVLST)

International Council of Hides, Skins and Leather Traders Association (ICHSLTA)

International Council of Tanners (ICT)

International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS)

Fachverband der Textil-, Bekleidungs-, Schuh- und Lederindustrie – Berufsgruppe Ledererzeugende Industrie (Austrian Association of Textile, Clothing, Shoe and Leather Industry – Leather Producing Industry Group)

Fédération Française des Cuirs et Peaux (French Hides & Skins Federation)

Fédération Française Tannerie Megisserie (French Tanners Association)

Leather and Hide Council of America

Leather Cluster Barcelona

Leather and Hide Council of America

Leather Cluster Barcelona

Leather Naturally

Leather UK

Leather Working Group

One 4 Leather

Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists

Sustainable Leather Foundation

Swedish Tanners Association

Turkish Leather Industrialists Association (TLIA)

UNIC Concerie Italiane (Italian Tanneries Association)

Verband der Deutschen Lederindustrie e.V. (TUV – German Leather Federation)

Wirtschaftsverband Häute/Leder (WHL – German Hide and Leather Association)

Zimbabwe Leather Development Council

Real leather is available in different fine, refined and premium types. Here you can learn more about these some of the premium and soft leathers.

Aniline leather is pure real leather and the finest leather available. Although it is available in various colours, the surface is not coated. The natural characteristics of the hide are thereby preserved, and any natural characteristic, however small, such as the grains, remains visible. The result is an extremely soft and supple leather with a natural look. Only flawless hides are processed into aniline leather, which makes this type of leather extremely valuable and also expensive.

Nubuck leather has a velvet-like finish. The leather is buffed, creating a soft, velvety and warm surface. It is highly breathable and able to wick away sweat, ensuring a high level of wearing comfort while maintaining the protective function for which leather is known. Nubuck is used in upholstered furniture, handbags, clothing, shoes, gloves and as automotive leather.

It’s all about the right care!
Leather is subject to a natural ageing process. Just like good wine, it matures and gains its own unique character over time. Delicate natural leather can be kept beautiful for a long time when treated and cared for properly.

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Leather has been part of our lives for centuries. We are no stranger to leather bags, shoes, or belts, among others, but let’s not forget that, thanks to its unique scent, textures and patina, leather also has prestige in interior design and architecture.

Enhancing homes, offices, hotels or restaurants, leather has recovered the glamour of its past and today it is a key contender when we look at the latest trends in interior design. The British Chesterfield sofa is one of the most recognisable pieces of furniture in the world. Dating back to the 1800s, its luxury leather, deep buttoning, low back, and classic charm, are a perfect example of interior ornamentation that is very much in vogue today. But let’s go back further in time, when leather was an option chosen by many European castle owners in place of wooden floorings. Even Pope Julius III enjoyed the beauty of gilded leather walls. Our ancestors saw the versatility of leather and played with the endless possibilities it offered

Thanks to its longevity, all these applications are available to us. Leather wears and ages well, and its versatility allows it to be applied in countless spaces and places, adding a touch of luxury. Today leather offers a wide variety of options for contemporary interiors ranging from traditional aesthetics to innovative designs.

Beautiful, durable and low maintenance, it is becoming the “material par excellence” for a number of interior designers and architects. Bold or subtle accents throughout the home or office, the options are endless. Sumptuous leather wall tiles with 3D textures like geometric tessellations or gilded leather add a style statement.

Leather sofas, rugs or even headboards are bold statements, irrespective of your sense of fashion design – bohemian chic, minimalist, traditional, eclectic, contemporary or modern. Other options are also available, such as ottomans, lounge chairs, coffee tables or even curtains. Leather door and cabinet door panelling is also an attractive way of adding leather accents to the different spaces of a home or an office.

Still asking why leather?

No other material has the same appeal as leather. The look, feel, fragrance, and texture of leather is unique. It has both a masculine and feminine personality depending on the colour, the texture and the design of the piece you wish to put into your home. It is low maintenance and easily cleaned with a damp cloth. It is extremely versatile, blending in with any style of décor while adding unique aesthetics. Leather is an extremely durable natural material that ages well and endures regular wear and tear.

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Cotance newsletter 4 2021

Nature is “naturally” perfect. The patterns on the surface of leaves, trees, insect wings or fruits are always fascinating, especially when magnified.
However, nature can do even better; nature repairs. If a tissue is damaged, whether by an insect bite, a scratch or an infection, the injuries heal.
Yet sometimes scars occur.

Yet, illogical as it seems, people who buy leather, and who perhaps see holes in their jeans as cool and fashionable or enjoy a “used look”, perceive these scars as defects. For this reason, leathers are often sanded and given a finish so that the natural skin, with its unique individual characteristics, becomes a flawless, uniform material, like synthetic materials from industrial production

But leather only becomes truly beautiful with the small flaws, scars and colour differences, because only then can we see that it comes from nature itself, without loss in function or quality.

Let’s accept nature as it is! Let’s enjoy the natural qualities of leather!

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