BMW joins Leather Working Group to go sustainable on leather sourcing

BMW has joined the Leather Working Group, a non-profit organisation that ensures uniform environmental and social standards for leather supply chains around the globe and to certify manufacturers. BMW has become the second automotive manufacturer to collaborate with the organisation in order to implement a sustainable process of leather sourcing.

BMW stated the decision to join the group is in alignment with the company's ethos of focusing on sustainability and resource efficiency as it aims to create the most sustainable supply chain across the entire automotive industry. Sourcing leather from certified facilities is an important step on the road to achieving this ambitious goal, said the luxury automaker.

Nadine Philipp, BMW Group’s head of Sustainability in the Supply Chain, Energy said depending on region and model, leather is still in demand from the brand's customers and it holds an important place in the premium segment. “That is why supporting sustainable production and processing of leather at our suppliers is a priority for us. At the same time, we still want all our customers worldwide to be able to choose the optimal product, so we also offer leather-free vehicle equipment options," mentioned Philipp.

BMW for its iX model has used natural leather that has been tanned in an environment-friendly process that is based on olive leaf extract. The company has earlier said the manufacturing process of the electric vehicle did not use any fossil fuel as well as no rare earth metals were mined for it. The BMW iX has a relatively high level of recycled materials in its production, added the company back then. BMW launched the iX EV in India at a price point of ₹1.16 crore and it claims to offer a range 425 km range.