Pages 234–245
Abstract
Research summary supplied by the authors
Despite the fact that the Indian leather sector employs about 4.42 million people and brings in around USD 5 billion in export revenue, with plans to reach USD 30 billion by 2030, stakeholders are still becoming more concerned about the environmental sustainability practices (ESPs) and performance of this sector. Though a lot of work is being done in literature, still recognizing, executing, and assessing suitable ESPs continues to be difficult, especially in pollution-heavy industries like leather processing, where sustainability governance is frequently regarded as inadequate, particularly in developing nations. This study examines four primary questions: which ESPs are frequently implemented across various industrial sectors; whether these practices are relevant to the Indian leather processing industry; how they can be systematically categorized to support efficient analysis, monitoring, and assessment; and how ESPs can be prioritized to allow firms to concentrate on a select few high-impact practices during the initial stages of adoption. The above objective was first achieved through a thorough literature review that revealed 30 ESPs, which were then evaluated by domain experts for their pertinence to leather processing activities. The Delphi method was employed to achieve expert consensus and refine the list of applicable practices. The Delphi validated 10 ESPs were then prioritised using an integrated multi-criteria decision-making framework combining the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Due to the financial and operational limitations encountered by numerous leather processing companies, prioritization was crucial for facilitating a feasible and incremental adoption. The results provide valuable information for policymakers and industry professionals by pinpointing few key prioritised ESPs that can be implemented initially to enhance environmental performance and bolster sustainability management within the leather sector.