What leather’s longevity can mean for LCA figures
The environmental impact of leather is extremely small if the calculations take account the length of time for which the material is in use.
This was one of the main findings of a new lifecycle assessment (LCA) report that Denmark-based supplier of finished leather Sørensen has completed after 18 months of work.
It said it was experiencing increased demand from its customers in the international furniture and interior design sectors for documentation about the carbon emissions of its leather.
In response, it commissioned specialist consultancy EnergySolution, also based in Denmark, to carry out the LCA. It conducted the analysis in accordance with ISO standard 14067:2018 and submitted the results for verification by an independent third party, specialist research company SEGES.
A headline finding from the report is that Sørensen can attribute emissions of 8.7 kilos of CO2-equivalent to each square-metre of finished leather that it brings to market.
Acknowledging what it called “the constraints of direct comparisons arising from differences in calculation methodologies”, Sørensen said on releasing the details that this figure, an average across all of its leather collections, is in line with the emissions from 790 grammes of chocolate, 1.1 kilos of coffee beans, or a 61-kilometre drive in a new diesel car.
However, the leather supplier added that the long lifespan of leather and its natural ability to grow more beautiful over time “significantly reduce emissions over time”.
Quoting figures from the study, it went on to argue that using its leather for five years would bring the emissions calculation down to 1.7 kilos of CO2e. After 10 years of use, this would come down to 0.87 kilos and after 25 years, it would be 0.35 kilos.
Image shows Sørensen leather in an installation at the Copenhagen Planetarium.
