New institute aims to become a global reference for leather LCAs
Industry body Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA) has launched a new platform that it says will serve as an independent, science-based source of data for use in lifecycle assessment exercises.
The platform will be called the Institute for Data Integrity (IDI). It will be dedicated to helping companies in the global leather supply chain collect and analyse data, from livestock production, through tanning and beyond, for use in lifecycle assessment (LCA) studies.
It will aim to establish a “global reference for leather LCAs”, and accelerate what it called “credible decarbonisation pathways”.
IDI will be registered in the US as a non-profit organisation, but will serve the industry globally, attempting to close “critical data gaps” that it says exist in current assessment methodologies for leather and other natural materials.
“The leather sector, and natural products generally, need a trusted source for LCA data that is scientifically rigorous and transparent,” said LHCA vice-president, Kevin Latner, on presenting the new institute. “IDI will enable robust comparisons with alternative materials, support compliance with regulations like the EU product environmental footprint and provide brands with the tools they need to make informed decisions.”
Dr Greg Thoma of Colorado State University will sit on the board of IDI. He said the new platform would be committed to offering “practical, science-first tools”. He added that aliging with ISO standards and publishing open methodologies would allow IDI to “drive environmental data transparency in the apparel and materials sector”.
IDI has said brands, consumer advocacy groups and anti-greenwashing regulations make “transparent, defensible data and analysis” a requirement.
It will spend the rest of 2025 finalising the make-up of an advisory committee, establishing its methodology framework and a basic version of its platform.
It will aim to launch the platform in 2026 and incorporate some pilot datasets before expanding global coverage, releasing benchmarking tools and consumer-facing dashboards in 2027 and 2028.
Brands, industry associations, researchers and philanthropic partners can all join as “founding funders and data collaborators”.
