Higg Index news and archive

Sustainability giants join forces to transform consumer goods industry

Two leading sustainability organizations have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at advancing environmental practices across global supply chains. Cascale, formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and the ZDHC Foundation have signed an agreement to align their efforts in driving sustainable business practices, with a...

Business

Renewed iteration of Higg BRM unveiled

Cascale – formerly Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) – has unveiled the latest version of its Higg Brand and Retail Module (BRM) as part of its evolving Higg Index suite of tools. The Higg BRM is a framework designed to help brands and retailers evaluate, assess and improve environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, assessing 11...

Business

SAC publishes details of renewed Higg tool prior to release

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has published a Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) 4.0 technical paper that gives users highlights of the tool’s new version that will be released in November 2023. The Higg FEM is a facilities-based tool that assesses a facility across several dimensions such as energy and greenhouse gas (GHG)...

BusinessFeatured

Norwegian and Dutch watchdogs publish guidance on Higg MSI use

Norwegian and Dutch consumer authorities have published a guidance document detailing the use of the Higg Material Sustainability Index (MSI) tool after the Scandinavian organisation found it was “misleading” consumers. The two firms have concluded that data from Higg MSI was not a sufficient basis for environmental marketing claims, which they...

Business

NCA clarifies principles surrounding sustainability communication following Higg debacle

The Norwegian Consumer Authority (NCA) has confirmed that it is working with international counterparts to gather information on how sustainability could best be communicated on consumer-facing garment labels, according to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC). The news comes as the NCA and SAC confirmed they were working together to find a...

Fashion Featured

H&M 'greenwashed' its sustainability scores, says investigation

In May last year Higg, a sustainability software platform that helps companies measure impact, launched scorecards as part of the Higg Sustainability Profiles and Higg Index Materials. In simple terms, it offered a scorecard to provide a standardised way to compare performance across different products and brands, providing shoppers with an...

Business

Sustainable Apparel Coalition to pause consumer facing transparency programme following NCA report

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), together with two of its members, H&M and Norrøna, has announced that it will be pausing its use of consumer-oriented services and labels, such as the Higg scores, after a report by the Norwegian Consumer Authority (NCA) found it was misleading consumers. A statement from the SAC’s CEO, Amina Razvi, said...

BusinessFeatured

Higg raises 50 million US dollars in Series B

Higg, the sustainability insights platform for the consumer goods industry, has raised 50 million US dollars in a Series B funding round to accelerate supply chain sustainability. The funding was co-led by technology growth investor Silversmith Capital Partners and Tom Steyer and Katie Hall’s Galvanize Climate Solutions, along with participation...

Business|Interview Featured

The Higg Index: Inside one of fashion’s leading sustainability measurement tools

As consumer and investor demand for more environmentally friendly fashion continues to grow, brands are facing the tricky task of measuring their eco-credentials, which can be expensive, complex and time-consuming. One organisation trying to tackle the issue is the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), an alliance of NGOs and companies including...

Fashion

H&M launches Higg Index Sustainability Profile

H&M has launched the first version of the Higg Index Sustainability Profile across its online stores in Europe and the US, sharing performance scores on the environmental impact of materials used to create its products. The brand is one of the first to apply the new Higg Index Sustainability Profile - designed by the Sustainable Apparel...

Business

Sustainable Apparel Coalition launches tech company

Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the alliance of apparel, footwear and textile enterprises behind the Higg Index, has decided to spin off its technology division. A for-profit corporation called Higg Co. has been launched to develop the technology behind the sustainability assessment tools offered by SAC, allowing it to concentrate its...

BusinessFeatured

Sustainability certifications are often misleading, says Changing Markets Foundation

Sustainability certifications often fail to acknowledge all stages of the product life cycle and thereby mislead consumers into thinking brands are “greener” than they are, according to claims made in a report by the Changing Markets Foundation (CMF) released this week. Entitled “The False Promise of Certification”, the report examines different...