COP 26 LEATHER MANIFESTO
LEATHER MANIFESTO
International call from the leather industry;
Reduce dependency on petrochemical products
Before the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which will be held in Glasgow this year, 30 international organizations operating in the leather industry published a 'Leather Manifesto' and called for COP26; “Reduce dependence on petrochemicals from fossil fuels, prioritize natural materials.”
TDSD President Burak Uyguner, who conveyed the support given by the Turkish Leather Industrialists' Association (TLIA) to the 'Leather Manifesto', which was created by 30 international organizations, most of which operate in Europe, said, “After the meeting we held with 30 international organizations from our sector before COP26, the 'Leather Manifesto' we published. With this manifesto, signed by the leading European leather industry companies, we emphasized that it is necessary to turn to natural materials as a way to directly reduce the impact of petrochemical products on the climate. Natural fibers are a part of the biogenic carbon cycle and therefore the use of natural fibers is of great importance in terms of cyclicity. We talked about the advantages of the use of skins, which are completely natural as a by-product of the meat industry, compared to their counterparts. Leather materials, which pose much more of a threat to the environment if not processed, are readily available, ethically and properly produced, are an important substitute for fossil fuels derived petrochemicals and will reduce the need to extract these fuels. Also, at the end of its life, properly manufactured natural materials will biodegrade and not cause environmental disasters such as the microplastic pollution often associated with synthetic materials.” he said.
Emphasizing that the sustainable future does not pass through petrochemical products derived from fossil fuels, Uyguner said, “We also prepared our manifesto on the basis that the production process and supply chain of natural materials such as leather are not understood correctly. The products that emerged as an alternative to real leather are definitely not more sensitive to the environment. It has been accepted by scientific sources that natural leather is far ahead of its counterparts in terms of human health. Misperceptions created present fossil fuel-based synthetic products as environmentally friendly and sensitive to nature. In fact, the main risk for the environment comes from the use of materials obtained from fossil sources and their inability to dissolve naturally. For a sustainable future, the use of naturally derived materials should come to the fore.
Signatories to the Leather Manifesto
Asociación Española del Curtido (ACEXPIEL – Spanish Tanners’ Association)
Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Curtumes (APIC – Portugal Tanners’ Association)
Association of Dutch Hide Traders (V.N.H.)
Australian Hide Skin and Leather Exporters' Association Inc. (AHSLEA)
Cámara de la Industria de Curtiduría del Estado de Guanajuato - México (CICUR)
Cámara Nacional 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 Association)
Fédération Française Tannerie Megisserie (French Tanners Association)
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