BMW Group joins Leather Working Group – for responsible and sustainable leather sourcing

Munich. The BMW Group is underlining its corporate responsibility in the field of sustainability, by becoming the second automotive manufacturer worldwide to join the Leather Working Group. The aim of the not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder organisation is to ensure uniform environmental and social standards for leather supply chains worldwide and to certify manufacturers. The Leather Working Group represents about a quarter of the world’s leather producers – from tanneries to leather-processing industries and associations to retailers and buyers.

“As a leader in supply chain sustainability, joining the Leather Working Group is the next logical step for us,” says Nadine Philipp, BMW Group’s head of Sustainability in the Supply Chain, Energy. She emphasised that: “Leather is still in demand from our customers – depending on the model and region – and is very important 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.”

The decision to join the Leather Working Group ties in directly with the BMW Group’s business alignment, with its focus on sustainability and resource efficiency. One of the BMW Group’s objectives is 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.

As well as leather from certified suppliers, BMW Group also offers customers alternative interior materials

The BMW Group already sources all leather in the BMW iX from a certified manufacturer. The natural leather used is tanned in an especially environmentally-friendly process that relies on olive leaf extract. The BMW Group already offers leather-free alternatives, including textile options, Alcantara® and Sensatec. The company is also conducting research into resource-efficient leather alternatives, such as Deserttex®, which is made from cactus fibres, and the durable and fully recyclable plant-based Mirum®, from the startup Natural Fiber Welding, in which BMW i Ventures acquired a stake in 2021.

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Benedikt Fischer, Purchasing, Supplier Network, Sustainability
E-mail: Benedikt.Fischer@bmw.de, Telephone: +49-89-382-66887

Sandra Schillmöller, Purchasing, Supplier Network, Sustainability
E-mail: Sandra.Schillmoeller@bmw.de, Telephone: +49-89-382-12225

Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com
Email: presse@bmw.de

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2021, the BMW Group sold over 2.5 million passenger vehicles and more than 194,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2020 was € 5.222 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had a workforce of 120,726 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set its course for the future early on and is making sustainability and resource efficiency the focus of the company’s strategic direction – from the supply chain, through production, to the end of the use phase, for all its products. 

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