How did LWG start?
Leather Working Group (LWG) was formed in 2005 when a group of brands and leather manufacturers came together with the common objective of reducing the environmental impact of the leather industry. Today it works with stakeholders that include brands, leather manufacturers and NGOs towards that common aim.
What does LWG do?
The LWG sets an Audit Standard against which leather manufacturers can be assessed and certified. It is central to our objective of measuring and recognising good practice and driving improvements in the leather industry.
As a working group we are driven by our common objective to continually raise the bar and drive continuous improvement in the industry. To that end, the LWG standard is constantly evolving with active engagement and expert input from our stakeholders.
Collaboration and consultation also enable us to support broader initiatives such as the critical topics of traceability and deforestation due diligence within the value chain.
How is LWG funded?
LWG is a membership-based organisation and relies on the support and funding from our members to continue our work.
LWG is not paid to carry out audits on behalf of its members or the leather manufacturers themselves, rather assessments against the LWG Standard are carried out by independent third-party auditors with LWG receiving only an administration fee, (currently £300).
How is LWG govern
What changes has LWG made in the leather industry?
LWG Audit and Certification
Getting Audited
Deforestation Due Diligence
Leather Working Group Life Cycle Assessment
Leather Essentials
LWG VAT Number: GB 158 1965 76Registration Number: 08098331 (England)
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What changes has LWG made in the leather industry?
LWG’s work has created a better understanding of the leather industry and value chain and usedthat to define and set the goals that have driven improvements towards more sustainablepractices, such as reducing water usage and energy consumption, more responsible chemical management, and improved health and safety of workers. Over time, individual manufacturersreport lower energy and water consumption and have made changes to their internal practices.
LWG has facilitated greater data transparency between brands and their suppliers through the development and introduction of a Supplier Scorecard that allows brands to access the result of its supplier audit performance in each section directly from the LWG website. LWG commissioned its own LCA to give a better understanding of the average impacts of tanneries audited against its standard. The full version of this report is available to LWG brand members and stakeholders.
Working in collaboration with industry group Leather Naturally and the organisation SPIN 360, LWG submitted a revised dataset for Bovine (cow) Leather to the Higg MSI. The new dataset, included in the October 2024 update of the Higg MSI, resulted in the environmental impacts of bovine leather being between 55% and 67% lower than the previous MSI values. For example, Global Warming Potential, (GWP) which previously showed an impact of 36.8 points on the Higg MSI scale, was reduced by 60% to 14.6 points. This significant shift advanced real change, promoting a more nuanced understanding of bovine leather as a sustainable material choice.
