The Brazilian Leather Certification of Sustainability (CSCB) program has reached 27 participating tanneries. The most recent members of the initiative are Curtume J. Kempe, from Presidente Prudente (SP), and Indústria de Peles Versatto, from Novo Hamburgo (RS). The CSCB is promoted by the Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB) with the support of Brazilian Leather, a project for stimulating exports of Brazilian hides developed by the CICB in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).
Curtume J. Kempe's vision of sustainability is related to their company values, as Camila Kempe Costa explains. "We have, in sustainability, a benchmark for the continuous development of activities related to the leather business and we can identify it in our actions and our culture", she emphasizes. For them, this perception is one of the pillars that underlies the organization's mission so that it can achieve its goals. "With sustainability we can improve working environments and increase productivity, serving national and international markets and contributing to the organic development of the region,".
The CSCB supports improving the sector's image by bringing the theme of sustainability in the leather industry to the forefront, showing how the processes and the care with which a tannery works really are, highlights Cristiano Souza from Indústria de Peles Versatto. "Participation in the CSCB clearly shows concern for quality, the environment, and employees. We will see reactions in our customers and in society, demystifying erroneous impressions about the work of the tannery industry," he says.
Certification is only granted after an audit by a body accredited by Inmetro, which must verify compliance with the ABNT norm for sustainable leather production that includes 173 indicators on issues such as raw material origin, energy consumption, and collaborator relations. There are four levels of certification: Bronze (for those who meet up to 50% of applicable indicators), Silver (75%), Gold (90%) and Diamond (100%).
Photo: Curtume J. Kempe. Credit: Vitor Andrade
