Another day, another reminder of why natural materials like wool and leather outperform synthetics in life-cycle assessments. The latest argument from the International Wool Textile Organisation highlights biogenic carbon — and the need to distinguish it from fossil carbon.
Biogenic carbon is recognised in standards such as ISO 14067 and EN 18027, yet it has not been properly applied to animal-based materials LCA datasets.
A new IWTO study shows that livestock emissions are part of a biological carbon cycle. When these natural flows are properly accounted for, wool’s carbon footprint can drop by 35% to over 100% in some case studies — highlighting how strongly methodology shapes environmental results.
If 0-allocation can apply for livestock products, such as wool, all the more for by-products, such as hides & skins!
At COTANCE we hope the upcoming revision of the PEF/OEF methodology will address these points — ensuring natural materials are assessed fairly and not discouraged in sustainability choices.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsDRSbXO-SM
Article: https://iwto.org/accounting-for-nature-new-framework-transforms-wools-environmental-profile/
Scientific Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X25003713