ROCHESTER, MICH-- May 25, 2023 -- Pangea commits to becoming the world’s most trusted, sustainable automotive leather supplier, hitting major targets including LWG Gold certification and publication of an inaugural Sustainability Report. The company announces all manufacturing sites are now certified sustainable by the LWG Gold standard. Most recently, the teams were awarded the highest available standard in South Africa and Germany.
Sustainability reporting and auditing has helped Pangea better understand its organization at an even deeper level than standard automotive audits like ISO and IATF.
“This process has helped us better understand who we are and how we operate. It genuinely resonates with the oneness and standardization themes our brand exudes. Proper execution and year-over-year improvement has helped us strengthen our market leadership, guiding the industry to an even stronger image and material market share.” - Roger Pinto, Director of Sustainability & Innovation
The audit preparation for LWG was new for many of Pangea’s business units. Executives and plant managers alike encouraged teams to focus on sustainable reporting initiatives in 2023, especially LWG. The efforts displayed showed determination, unity, and a corporate commitment to sustainable manufacturing, resulting in nothing short of a mass-scale learning experience.
Sustainability is in focus worldwide and across all industries, naturally becoming important for a global automotive materials manufacturer like Pangea. LWG was founded by leather customers who understand how bio-based operations can truly improve the planet, outlining organizational performance. Commitment to sustainability is a customer priority; and an initiative Pangea chose to embrace. Establishing all sites as gold-certified means the supplier commits to a well-rounded sustainable audit and promises continuous improvement.
“The need to report our sustainable goals and progress was driven by our commitment to not only remain competitive, but to lead the industry in trust, service, and passion for natural leather.” - Randy Johnson, President & CEO
The company’s biggest focus for the next two years will be energy management. As one of the most important sections to LWG, it is also tied to lowering scope 1+2 emissions, ISO 50001 certification, and life cycle assessment (LCA) results. Site based solar projects are a priority, with various sites already operational, and plans for further renewable energy in place. Pangea expects to obtain an annualized 2-3% global energy efficiency by 2025, as well as a 16% reduction of freshwater intake.
