An eco-sustainable shift can no longer be postponed: Europe is asking for it and consumers are demanding it, as they will increasingly take into account elements such as ethical responsibility, sustainability, and the fairness policies of companies, whose values are reflected in the products they sell.

We spoke about this with Luca Cartocci, President of the Leaf Foundation.

What values and objectives does Leaf Hardware embody?

«The goal of the certification is to help the fashion supply chain align with the demands of the European Green Deal and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in terms of environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Companies can no longer base their business philosophy merely on profit, they must move towards ethical and responsible choices. This is indispensable for the planet, but also for consumers for whom sustainability is increasingly becoming an added value».

The certification was presented to the European Parliament. How was it received?

«We had the opportunity to present the fruits of our monitoring and the Leaf Hardware certification to an audience that shares our same goal. Companies in the luxury metal sector that apply for the Leaf Hardware standard can certify their production sustainability without risking the greenwashing phenomena that the EU itself is committed to combating. Think of the Green Claims directive, which sets common standards that companies will have to comply with to guarantee the veracity of their environmental claims». 

InfluenceMap, with its analysis of 300 companies in the Forbes 2000 ranking, estimated that 58% of companies are at risk of greenwashing

«Despite a company’s willingness to ensure ethical and sustainable production, change is often hindered by a lack of objective data and measurable standards. According to a report by Terra Choice, only less than 1% of greenwashing cases are caused by a deliberate willingness to lie: in most cases, companies make non-transparent statements due to a lack of data. This is why I believe the only solution is to rely on clear and understandable standards that are traceable and transparent».

According to Ipsos and UNGC reports, economic investments (34%) and bureaucracy (27%) are among the biggest problems companies face on the path to more sustainable management 

«There is no doubt that being sustainable in addition to being complex requires an economic investment. But we should not consider it to be a lose-lose investment, rather as the way to safeguard the uniqueness of Made in Italy. A company that opts for sustainable production is attractive to stakeholders and investors alike». 

What is the LEAF Foundation’s goal for the future?

«The LEAF Foundation’s goal is to accompany companies towards more sustainable and ethical production processes. With our standards, which are based on real and measurable data and the real characteristics of the supply chain, we can support companies in the process of ecological transition. This way, we can achieve two goals: the first is to prevent companies from lawsuits and litigation for greenwashing, the other is to guarantee end customers that what they buy is actually produced in an ethical and responsible way».