Dashboard

A Major Milestone: SLF Certification Scheme Recognised by UKAS

We are proud to announce that the Sustainable Leather Foundation Certification Scheme has been formally recognised by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).

The UKAS review confirms that the SLF Certification Scheme can be recognised as a conformity assessment scheme against which a Certification Body can seek accreditation. The evaluation considered the Scheme against the requirements of ISO/IEC 17065 and the ISO/IEC 17067 guidelines, together with the relevant European co-operation for accreditation procedure for evaluating conformity assessment schemes. Following the submission and acceptance of further evidence during the evaluation process, the recognised Scheme version is 1.5.

This recognition represents a significant step in SLF’s continuing accreditation journey. It provides an independently reviewed framework through which eligible Certification Bodies can seek accreditation to deliver certification against the SLF Scheme, helping to strengthen confidence in the consistency, impartiality and integrity of the certification process.

 

“This is an important milestone for SLF and is the culmination of six years careful development, practical implementation and continuous improvement. From the beginning, our aim has been to create a credible, accessible and genuinely useful ESG certification framework for the whole leather value chain. UKAS recognition provides important external assurance that the Scheme has the structure and controls required to support accredited certification. Our focus now is on supporting SLF Auditing Services through the ISO 17065 accreditation process.”

Deborah Taylor, Managing Director, Sustainable Leather Foundation

The SLF Certification Scheme covers environmental, social and governance performance through three modular standards. Organisations can be certified against the modules and sections relevant to their activities, with the certified scope clearly recorded. The Scheme currently applies to leather manufacturers, product manufacturers, traders and chemical companies.

At a time when businesses are under growing pressure to substantiate sustainability claims, independent oversight matters. Scheme recognition strengthens confidence that certification is built on defined requirements, competent assessment, consistent decision-making and effective controls.

This achievement does not mean that SLF is already UKAS-accredited. Scheme recognition and Certification Body accreditation are separate stages. Recognition establishes the reviewed framework against which an eligible Certification Body can apply for accreditation, and SLF will now continue that next phase of work. UKAS does not, through scheme recognition, judge the technical robustness, market value or usefulness of the Scheme’s technical requirements, nor does recognition guarantee the outcome of a later accreditation assessment.

We extend our sincere thanks to our Advisory Board, technical contributors, partners, auditors and certified organisations, whose expertise, participation and commitment to continuous improvement have helped us reach this point.