The role of wool and leather was the focus of last week’s meeting of the European Parliament’s Sustainable Livestock Intergroup, convened in Strasbourg by the Intergroup co-chairs MEP Benoît Cassart (Renew Europe, Belgium), MEP Alexander Bernhuber (EPP, Austria) and MEP Maria Grapini (S&D, Romania).
The event brought together Members of the European Parliament, policymakers, scientists and industry representatives to explore how wool and leather can contribute to positive environmental outcomes and European rural economies.
IWTO was pleased to participate in this high-level event.
Reconceiving Sustainability
Dr Paul Swan, IWTO’s Green Book project lead and co-author of the recently published research into biogenic carbon flows in wool production, offered a detailed analysis of current LCA and Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology, showing how these existing models focus on “damage accounting” in ways that systematically disadvantage natural fibres.
A core problem is the failure to distinguish between fossil and biogenic carbon, which causes materials from renewable, biological cycles, such as wool, to be undervalued relative to fossil-based synthetic options.
Our latest video breaks down the science – watch it here: https://youtu.be/SsDRSbXO-SM?si=76nVv38ch73_CzmG
Gustavo Defeo, founder of Ars Tinctoria and biobased carbon researcher, contrasted circular, bio-based systems with linear, fossil-based materials to emphasize the role of credible standards in preventing greenwashing. The result is a method that is better at recording land occupation than at rewarding sustainable land management.
Roland Taferner, an Austrian sheep farmer, highlighted the challenges facing growers on the ground, while Michael Losch of DG AGRI outlined the policy context. The PEF Category Rules for Apparel & Footwear, he said, are being reviewed in response to recommendations from the wool and natural fibre sectors.
MEPS Call for Action from the European Commission
Following the event, the three co-chairing MEPs addressed a joint letter to Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera and Commissioners Christophe Hansen, Jessika Roswall and Olivér Várhelyi, urging the Commission to address critical flaws in the PEF methodology before they become embedded in legislation.
The letter calls out PEF for failing to recognise livestock systems as circular bioeconomy assets, listing specifically:
- PEF’s methodological bias against natural fibres
- A land use model that fails to reflect Europe’s diverse agricultural systems
- Biodiversity metrics that don’t capture real on-farm practices
- A microplastics framework that fails to distinguish what’s biodegradable from persistent synthetic fibres
- A regulatory paradox that treats wool as waste
IWTO will continue to engage with the legislative process to ensure wool is properly valued across a sustainable European economy. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed.
The full text of the Joint Letter is available here.
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Photo by Jonathan Marchal on Unsplash
Based in Brussels, she enjoys the challenge of coordinating communications across time zones and cultures, whether she's working with sheep farmers in Australia or fashion brands in Europe. When not immersed in wool industry trends, you might find her on a yoga mat or exploring Belgium's excellent coffee scene.
Have a question about wool or the wool industry? Contact Jeannette through IWTO at iwto@iwto.org.
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