Kevin Latner, Leather and Hide Council of America (L&HCA) Vice President – Sustainability, presented the preliminary findings of the U.S. cowhide production Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) at the recent Economist Impact Sustainability Week summit in London. The event, now in its ninth year, is attended by industry leaders from around the world. The L&HCA discussed leather’s sustainability with representatives of companies from Boston Consulting Group to Ford Motor Company.

Speaking during a panel discussion on sustainable supply chains, Kevin Latner said: “We were pleased to see that processing of hides, a natural waste material, delivers a low carbon footprint. The new data shows that leather is a renewable, sustainable material and suggests that it is better for the environment than oil-derived synthetics.”

“It also shows the challenges and opportunities ahead for the textile industry in pursuit of our shared environmental goals for the planet. The industry needs to publish credible and transparent data to inform discussions, to understand supply chain issues and to enable businesses and consumers to make informed purchase decisions with standard metrics. All materials need to follow best practice in environmental impact assessment.”

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