Environmental impact assessment tool the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) has updated its score for leather, attributing much lower impacts to the material.

The leather industry has been campaigning since 2020 to have the Higg MSI reflect more fairly the environmental impact of leather. Now, in an October 2024 update, it gives new average values for bovine leather showing environmental impacts that are lower by between 55% and 67% than previous scores.

As a result, the Higg MSI scale, which previously gave bovine leather a global warming potential score of 36.8 points, has been amended to attribute 14.6 points to the material. This is a reduction of more than 60%.

Using lifecycle assessment (LCA) information from the Leather Working Group and Leather Naturally, specialist leather industry-focused environmental consultancy Spin 360 submitted detailed data for leather’s impact to the Higg Index.

In its submission, Spin 360 used data collected from 45 manufacturing facilities across 18 countries for leather destined for use in footwear, automotive, leathergoods and upholstery.

The October update shows that the Higg has now adopted these more accurate figures as a new average for bovine leather.

The leather industry bodies involved in this effort have reacted by saying this significant shift advances real change, promoting “a more nuanced understanding of bovine leather as a sustainable material choice”.

Image: Mark-Giusti Milano