On November 13, 2024, global industry representatives gathered at Geneva’s Palais des Nations for the UNECE/FAO Forests Deforestation-Free Trade Dialogue to discuss the impact of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

Leather industry leaders, including ICT, COTANCE, UNIC – Concerie Italiane, and ICEC, argued for leather’s exclusion from the EUDR, emphasizing that leather production has minimal links to deforestation.

A study by Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, commissioned by UNIC and COTANCE, presented evidence showing that leather primarily uses hides, a by-product of the meat industry.

This means leather production reduces waste, as hides would otherwise go to landfills.

“One-quarter of global finished leather sales are Italian. Without leather, hides would end up in landfills—how is that good for the environment?”

Fabrizio Nuti, President, UNIC

He stressed that the European leather industry is among the world’s most sustainable, with practices that support a circular economy.

While the EUDR’s enforcement is postponed until December 2025, the leather industry remains hopeful for a favorable outcome, arguing that unnecessary regulation would increase waste and reduce overall sustainability.

Source – COTANCE