Volvo Cars ditching leather upholstery in support of animal welfare

The automobile industry is developing leaps and bounds. And during this folds of development, Volvo has taken an amazing decision. Apart from sustainability with alternate eco fuel, the automaker has said it will avoid using leather upholstery in its future vehicles. This will be in line with animal welfare and go hand-in-hand with the electrification of cars.

The Swedish automaker has confirmed that besides just animal cruelty, the decision of switching off from leather material will also bring goodness to the environment. Cattle farming, which is the primary source of car leather, impacts the greenery by causing deforestation. Besides just that, 14% of all greenhouses gases (impacts the rising temperature) are emitted from cattle farming. So, shifting away from leather trims would keep the environment healthy.

Volvo is already working on alternative high-quality, eco-friendly material that can be used in place of leather. These alternates are made from around 25% bio and recycled material. The sourcing of such an eco-friendly alternative to leather would become a fully functional in-house business by 2040, according to Volvo.

Besides just this, the automaker will also reduce the use of livestock residual products in the manufacture of lubricants, rubber, adhesives, and plastics. This includes curbing the use both as a direct material or the production or chemical treatments.

Stuart Templar, the director of global sustainability at Volvo Cars, said that being progressive doesn’t only mean curbing CO2 emissions or working towards electrification. It also includes animal welfare and responsible material sourcing. So, electrification of cars while going leather-free targets both issues at the same time.

He has also added that finding material while supporting animal welfare could be challenging, but there is no reason not to try. Having said that, the Swedish automaker is aiming to go for 100% renewable energy by 2025.

Also read: Volvo will give ‘emotional’ names to its upcoming EVs