The SLF Transparency Dashboard
The Vision Behind the SLF Transparency Dashboard™
The Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF) developed the SLF Transparency Dashboard™ to address key challenges in the leather industry and to promote transparency, inclusivity, and progress in meeting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. Through extensive engagement with stakeholders, SLF identified recurring issues that led to this innovative solution, aiming to support sustainable practices and industry-wide alignment.
Challenges in the Leather Industry
The leather industry faces multiple challenges, including:
- Increasing legislation and societal expectations.
- Lack of cohesion and alignment among value chain stakeholders.
- Confusion surrounding standards, their expectations, limitations, and implications.
- Inefficient communication of sustainability efforts to consumers.
- Over-emphasis on top-performing tanneries, leaving smaller tanneries with limited support.
These challenges have resulted in duplicated efforts, resource inefficiencies, and gaps in consumer understanding of the industry’s sustainability initiatives. The SLF Transparency Dashboard™ was developed to address these challenges effectively.
How the SLF Transparency Dashboard™ Works
The SLF Transparency Dashboard™ is designed to:
- Simplify sustainability tracking and benchmarking with a clear visual representation of ESG progress.
- Foster inclusivity by supporting organisations at all levels of the value chain.
- Streamline efforts by reducing the resources necessary to meet varying standards.
- Enhance communication by enabling transparency for value chain customers and end-users through a consistent and easy-to-understand framework.
This digital tool uses a traffic light system to indicate an organisation’s progress across ESG modules. Key features include:
- Modular Framework: Allows organisations to track progress at their own pace.
- Customisable Reporting: Tailored dashboards reflecting each organisation’s specific ESG status.
- Industry-Wide Alignment: Harmonised sustainability efforts across the value chain.
- Consumer Transparency: Provides a mechanism to externalise sustainability initiatives effectively.
Impact and Benefits
The SLF Transparency Dashboard™ offers significant benefits:
- For the Industry: Establishes a unified system that reduces duplication, aligns stakeholders, and drives collective progress.
- For Organisations: Supports value chain partners in achieving and demonstrating compliance with legislative and voluntary industry standards.
- For Consumers: Builds trust by addressing misconceptions and providing clear, reliable information about leather industry practices.