Leather industry renews manifesto ahead of COP 31
For the sixth year running, the global leather industry has prepared a manifesto in the build-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
This year’s event (COP 31) will take place in Antalya in Turkey from November 9-20.
Ahead of the conference, the new leather industry manifesto, which 13 industry organisations have signed so far, points to the “increasing momentum” in the circular economy. The text welcomes the focus on policies that encourage greater use of biobased materials to reduce the current dependency on fossil fuels.
As an example, it mentions the European Union's Bioeconomy Strategy, which the Commission published in 2025, with the first initiatives launching this year.
However, the new leather industry manifesto also makes this observation: “In the rush to new solutions, it is essential that the biobased materials that have served mankind for millennia are not overlooked. Natural materials like leather and wool are part of the solution to the climate challenge.”
It asks that COP 31 endorse the industry’s call for wider recognition of the “cyclical, climate-efficient nature of leather” and its potential to make a positive contribution to reducing the climate impacts of consumer products.
The text also calls on COP 31 to promote “slow fashion”, with repairable, long-lasting products made from bio-based materials.
Finally, it says the conference should encourage the use of natural renewable fibres like leather “wherever possible” and reduce consumer products manufacturers’ “unnecessary reliance” on fossil-fuel-based materials.
The full text of the manifesto is here.
Image: Paraboot.
