Celebrating 5 Years of Sustainable Progress!

On Sunday 13th July, SLF was proud to mark a significant milestone — 5 years of the Sustainable Leather Foundation!

Since our launch in 2020, we’ve been dedicated to making the leather industry more transparent, responsible, and sustainable. Thanks to our growing worldwide community, we’ve:

✅ Developed practical tools to support sustainable improvement

✅ Empowered over 100 organisations across the leather value chain

✅ Fostered collaboration for long-term, positive impact

When we started the Foundation, we believed that sustainability should be accessible and achievable for everyone. Five years on, that belief is stronger than ever — and the progress we’ve made together proves what’s possible when our industry commits to doing better.

Championing Transparency and Traceability: The Sustainable Leather Foundation’s Global Mission

In today’s evolving global landscape, the leather industry faces increasing pressure to demonstrate environmental stewardship, ethical responsibility, and supply chain accountability. The Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF) is answering that call—working at the heart of the sector to promote practical, credible, and measurable sustainability improvements.

Established in 2020 as a collaborative and inclusive platform, SLF supports stakeholders across the entire leather value chain—tanneries, manufacturers, brands, and retailers—by providing tools, certification systems, and strategic partnerships that drive real-world impact. The Foundation’s framework centres around transparency, traceability, and continual improvement, enabling companies to meet current and emerging expectations with confidence.

Tangible Progress: Audits and Transparency in Action

SLF has now conducted over 120 audits across facilities worldwide. These assessments offer a comprehensive view of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) performance, focusing on areas such as land, water and air pollution, chemical management, water usage, energy efficiency, waste disposal, worker rights, ethical business practice and traceability.

As part of its unique approach, SLF translates audit outcomes into Transparency Dashboards—a user-friendly and openly accessible tool that showcases each facility’s progress. To date, more than 100 Dashboards have been published, reinforcing the Foundation’s commitment to public accountability and enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions based on verified data.

Trusted by Industry Leaders and Global Institutions

SLF’s success has been driven by its ability to combine technical expertise with strategic partnerships resulting in the delivery of impactful projects for organisations including:

• Leather & Hide Council of America – Advancing sustainability practices through Traceability tools, LCA data and grassroots training and development in different regions.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) – Supporting sustainable development goals through leather supply chain initiatives.
• WWF Pakistan – Authoring the Guidelines for Traceability and Transparency for the Leather Supply Chain of Pakistan.
• University of Northampton – Working under the SMEP programme to develop traceability tools and promote sustainable improvement, bringing together academic research and innovation with industry knowledge.

Each project reflects SLF’s core purpose: to make sustainability accessible, measurable, and meaningful for every part of the supply chain, regardless of geography or scale.

Driving Global Policy and Regulatory Alignment

SLF is also playing a critical role in shaping the global policy landscape, particularly around traceability and deforestation-free supply chains. The Foundation is an active contributor to major international platforms, including:

• UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) – Authoring the Business Process Analysis for the Leather Value Chain and managing the Blockchain Pilot for traceability.
• European Commission DG Environment’s Multi-Stakeholder Platform on Deforestation – A member of the platform that informs upcoming EU legislation and risk mitigation strategies for EUDR.
• UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) – Collaborating on sustainable industrial development programs and freely available training courses.
• COTANCE – Working alongside standard setting bodies to align traceability requirements and create a CEN Traceability Standard.

Through these partnerships and others, SLF is ensuring that the leather industry has a voice in shaping future regulatory frameworks—and is equipped with the tools to meet them.

A Practical Framework for Continuous Improvement
Unlike traditional certification systems, SLF offers a modular and flexible approach that recognises the diverse challenges and realities of global leather production. Its certification framework is built around three pillars: Environmental, Social, and Governance, enabling facilities to progress at a realistic pace while maintaining transparency at every stage.

The Foundation also supports its partners with resources, training, and ongoing guidance to implement sustainable practices and ensure continual improvement. This approach encourages participation rather than exclusion—helping facilities at all stages of their sustainability journey to contribute meaningfully to industry-wide progress.

Looking Ahead: Collaboration is Key
The path to a truly sustainable leather industry will not be forged by any one organisation—it will require collaboration, alignment, and shared responsibility. SLF has positioned itself as a trusted platform that brings all voices to the table and transforms sustainability goals into practical, achievable and verifiable outcomes.

As highlighted in its most recent Annual Report, SLF’s work is expanding across regions and sectors, supporting businesses in preparing for increasing regulatory scrutiny and evolving market expectations. From auditing and certification to capacity building and policy development, the Foundation continues to set the standard for what responsible leather production should look like.

For industry professionals looking to future-proof their operations, align with global sustainability frameworks, and demonstrate transparent performance, SLF offers the tools, partnerships, and credibility to lead the way.

To learn more about how your organisation can engage with SLF’s work, visit www.sustainableleatherfoundation.com or contact info@sustainableleatherfoundation.com.