Join us for a webinar on leather supply chain traceability!
Understanding Traceability and Due Diligence in the Leather Supply Chain: Perspectives from Pakistan and Bangladesh
🗓 Date: 16 April 2025
🕒 Time: 2:00 PM UTC+5 | 11:00 AM CEST | 11:00 AM SAST
⌛Duration: 1.5 hours
📍 Venue: Online (Zoom)
Register here
Background
The leather industry plays a vital role in the economies of both Pakistan and Bangladesh. In Pakistan, leather is the third-largest export sector, contributing approximately 4% to GDP. In Bangladesh, the sector is the second-largest source of foreign exchange and a livelihood for over a million people. Despite its economic significance, the industry faces critical challenges regarding environmental sustainability, ethical sourcing, and global compliance with evolving trade regulations.
One of the major issues in the leather supply chain is the lack of traceability and transparency—from raw material sourcing to finished goods. This opacity makes it difficult to verify sustainable and responsible practices, creating compliance risks for businesses. With increasing global scrutiny, especially from regulations like the Regulation on Deforestation-free Products of the European Union (“EUDR”) (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115) and other environmental and ethical sourcing requirements, the pressure on leather-producing countries to ensure traceability and responsible sourcing is greater than ever. To comply with the EUDR, companies must implement robust supply chain traceability to demonstrate that their commodities are sourced from deforestation-free areas. The industry must proactively adopt responsible sourcing, cleaner production, and circularity practices to maintain and expand trade opportunities.
The Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) Programme, funded by UK International Development, is addressing these challenges in Pakistan and Bangladesh’s leather sector by improving traceability, reducing environmental pollution, and promoting circular economy practices.
Objectives
This webinar brings together experts and industry stakeholders to examine the challenges and explore potential solutions for improving transparency in the leather sector, with a particular focus on Pakistan and Bangladesh through insights from two projects supported by the SMEP programme:
- Pakistan Leather Sector: Traceability, Cleaner Production and Circularity
- LeatherTrace Bangladesh: Traceable and Circular leather production in Bangladesh
Transparency can be enhanced by improving traceability along the leather value chain, from where animals are raised to slaughterhouses and tanneries, enabling risk identification, mitigation, verification, and potential certification through bodies such as the Leather Working Group (LWG). This is particularly critical in light of the soon-to-be-implemented European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The objectives of the webinar include:
- raising awareness of transparency issues and potential incentives for compliance within the global and South Asian context, explicitly linking these to EUDR implications;
- exploring practical and evidence-based solutions that respond to policy challenges and industry needs, drawing on SMEP project insights; and
- facilitating cross-sector collaboration, positioning SMEP as a convenor laying the groundwork for future partnerships.
Webinar speakers
Moderator: Henrique Pacini
Economic Affairs Officer & SMEP Programme Lead, UNCTAD
Henrique Pacini is an economist at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Geneva, working on trade and circular economy themes. He leads the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) programme and has published extensively on trade, environment, and development.
Keynote Speaker: Sohail Ali Naqvi
Director Freshwater Programme and Lead Sustainability and Stewardship, WWF-Pakistan
Sohail Ali Naqvi is the Director of the Freshwater Programme and Lead of Sustainability & Stewardship at WWF-Pakistan. An engineer by profession, he brings over 17 years of expertise in water and environmental management. He is also a member of the ZDHC Wastewater Council and the AWS Global Technical Committee.
Speaker: Elzette Henshilwood
Technical Project and Relationship Manager, South South North (SMEP, PMA)
Elzette Henshilwood manages SMEP’s projects in textiles and tanneries, bridging sustainable manufacturing with her urban development and sustainability background. She has extensive experience in urban planning, sustainable development, environmental management, and research featured by UN Habitat.
Speaker: Adeel Younas
Manager Sustainable Supply Chains, WWF-Pakistan
Adeel Younas has over a decade of experience in environmental sustainability and stewardship. He leads WWF-Pakistan’s Pakistan Leather Sector: Traceability, Cleaner Production, and Circularity project and is an expert with the Leather Working Group’s (LWG) technical task team.
Speaker: Ebenezer Laryea
Project Director, LeatherTrace Bangladesh – Aston University
Dr. Laryea is a leading researcher in sustainable development law, collaborating with over 200 businesses and key international partners. He directs the Leathertrace SMEP project in Bangladesh, focusing on supply chain transparency and sustainability.
Speaker: Anne Nistad
Senior Manager – Chain of Custody Standard, Leather Working Group
Anne Nistad specializes in sustainability standards and assurance. She has worked with Marine Stewardship Council, Responsible Jewellery Council, Bonsucro, and now Leather Working Group (LWG) to develop Chain of Custody requirements for leather sustainability.
Speaker: Mathieu Lamolle
Senior Advisor, Sustainable Global Value Chains, International Trade Center
Mathieu Lamolle leads ITC’s work on sustainability standards and deforestation-free global value chains, advising on EUDR compliance for MSMEs and promoting sustainable trade practices worldwide.
