On November 10, 2022, China Leather Industry Association and 25 other countries leather organizations come together again put forward a Manifesto to the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) , that stresses the role of natural materials in the challenges of climate change. This is second year the global leather industry submits the leather manifesto for United Nations Climate Change Conference.

The leather manifesto said the attendees of COP27 should recognize the role of leather and nature fabrics played in addressing climate change, the advantages in recycling, ecological friendly, if the vast quantities of rawhide thrown to landfill it will bring huge impact on environment.

The leather manifesto stresses that for reducing further harm to the environment, we should maximize the use of resources like rawhide. It is contrary to sustainable development if vast quantities of natural, readily available and versatile raw materials wasted and then using fossil fuel-based synthetic materials. It is estimated that the wasted hides and skins can make the shoes for 33% of the world’s population each year, namely over 2.5 billion pairs of shoes.

The leather manifesto claims that leather is an ideal choice for a sustainable future, and encourages re-use and slow-fashion. The global leather industry organizations once again call on the COP forum to support LCA methodologies, products process and their materials impact on the environmental should take into account, and encourage the use of natural fibres wherever feasible and reduce unnecessary reliance on fossil-fuel-based materials.

The full Leather Manifesto can be downloaded from the Leather Naturally website. The 26 signatories are as follows:

1. Asociación Española del Curtido (ACEXPIEL – Spanish Tanners’ Association)
2. Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Curtumes (APIC – Portugal Tanners’ Association)
3. Australian Hide Skin and Leather Exporters' Association Inc. (AHSLEA)
4. Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB)
5. Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias do Couro (CTIC - Leather Center in Portugal)
6. China Leather Industry Association (CLIA)
7. Confederation of National Associations of Tanners and Dressers of the European Community (COTANCE)
8. International Council of Hides, Skins and Leather Traders Association (ICHSLTA)
9. International Council of Tanners (ICT)
10. International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS)
11. Fédération Française des Cuirs et Peaux (FFCP - French Hides & Skins Association)
12. Fédération Française Tannerie Megisserie (FFTM - French Tanners Association)
13. Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA)
14. Leather Cluster Barcelona (LCB)
15. Leather Naturally (LN)
16. Leather UK (LUK)
17. Leather Working Group (LWG)
18. One 4 Leather (O4L)
19. Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists (SLTC)
20. Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF)
21. Swedish Tanners Association (STA)
22. Turkish Leather Industrialists Association (TDSD)
23. UNIC Concerie Italiane (Italian Tanneries Association)
24. Verband der Deutschen Lederindustrie e.V. (VDL – German Leather Federation)
25. Wirtschaftsverband Häute/Leder (WHL – German Hide and Leather Association)
26. Zimbabwe Leather Development Council (ZLDC).