The SULEAP project aims to: - remedy the detected lack of knowledge on sustainability implementation in the leather industry and broaden the knowledge of target groups about the practical implementation with innovative training tools and platforms - raise the awareness of the direct beneficiaries and target groups (professionals, staff and manager in Leather making SMEs and policymakers), as well as indirect beneficiaries (associations, authorities, staff and managers from other relevant industries) about the risks and benefits of sustainability in the leather production - present the opportunities that are emerging for the sector and support them in the transformation of the leather industry into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive industry.
Sustainable development is a core principle of the EU Treaty and a priority objective for the EU. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the UN and the European Green Deal, represent, for the leather industry, enormous opportunities and challenges. The transition to a business model that focuses on sustainability requires first aware and trained human capital. Leather professionals and businesses, especially micro-enterprises and SMEs (as are most leather businesses in Europe and Turkey), are insufficiently trained for a successful implementation of sustainability and its measures. Furthermore, well-informed policy making and enforcing institutions with the necessary tools and policies are needed to successfully integrate social, economic, and environmental strategies and initiatives into the industry at a local level. This is especially true for the leather industry often, mistakenly, considered as obsolete and unable to follow technological progress.