The Leather Manifesto is supported by 26 international leather industry organisations including Leather Naturally, the Leather and Hide Council of America, Leather Working Group and Cotance.

The manifesto, expanding on the message presented to COP26, asks the attendees of COP27 to “recognise the cyclical, climate-efficient characteristics of leather and other natural fibres”.

In particular, it urges COP27 to “understand the implications of the huge amounts of raw material of leather production, hides and skins, that are currently being thrown away”.

Debbie Burton, Chair of Leather Naturally, said: “Leather is part of the solution for climate change and Leather Naturally is proud to support this manifesto. It clearly sets out the responsibility we have to use what is a natural by-product, and the benefits that leather can bring to a circular society.”

The full Leather Manifesto can be downloaded from the Leather Naturally website. The 26 signatories are as follows:

  1. Asociación Española del Curtido (ACEXPIEL – Spanish Tanners’ Association)
  2. Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Curtumes (APIC – Portugal Tanners’ Association)
  3. Australian Hide Skin and Leather Exporters’ Association Inc. (AHSLEA)
  4. Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB)
  5. Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias do Couro (CTIC – Leather Center in Portugal)
  6. China Leather Industry Association (CLIA)
  7. Confederation of National Associations of Tanners and Dressers of the European Community (COTANCE)
  8. International Council of Hides, Skins and Leather Traders Association (ICHSLTA)
  9. International Council of Tanners (ICT)
  10. International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS)
  11. Fédération Française des Cuirs et Peaux (FFCP – French Hides & Skins Association)
  12. Fédération Française Tannerie Megisserie (FFTM – French Tanners Association)
  13. Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA)
  14. Leather Cluster Barcelona (LCB)
  15. Leather Naturally (LN)
  16. Leather UK (LUK)
  17. Leather Working Group (LWG)
  18. One 4 Leather (O4L)
  19. Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists (SLTC)
  20. Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF)
  21. Swedish Tanners Association (STA)
  22. Turkish Leather Industrialists Association (TDSD)
  23. UNIC Concerie Italiane (Italian Tanneries Association)
  24. Verband der Deutschen Lederindustrie e.V. (VDL – German Leather Federation)
  25. Wirtschaftsverband Häute/Leder (WHL – German Hide and Leather Association)
  26. Zimbabwe Leather Development Council (ZLDC).