In parallel with the partnership it has announced with the Leather and Hide Council of America, conservation group WWF (the World Wildlife Fund) has also entered into a new partnership with two leather industry bodies in Italy, reports Leatherbiz.

National tanning industry body UNIC and Italy’s institute for certifying the quality of leather, ICEC, announced their partnership with WWF on September 8, saying it would add value to the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities of leather manufacturers there, while promoting good practice in the leather industry worldwide.

As in the agreement with LHCA in the US, the main areas of focus will include deforestation and water stewardship, as well as traceability of raw material and environmental protection.

UNIC president, Fabrizio Nuti, said that sustainability had always been a central area of focus for Italian tanners. He said: “In recent decades, our member companies have achieved excellent, measurable results in every aspect of the sustainable production of leather, but we also know that there is a need for continuous improvement.”

He said he was sure the new partnership with WWF would help leather manufacturers develop new strategies, projects and tools for making further improvements.

For her part, ICEC president, Paola Arosio, said she was sure that joint commitments to setting up systems for improving and measuring activities in sustainability was a good way to bring benefits for the whole planet. “It is only through dialogue and working together that we can overcome the environmental challenges we face,” she said.