Worldly is how the sustainability intelligence platform Higg will now be known, and the rebranding comes with an industry-first solution to capture real-time data from factories across the supply chain and a partnership with leading testing and certification company SGS to support consumer goods industry’s need for validated data.
Industry-first solution: Brands, retailers and manufacturers will now be able to share energy, water and waste data, in closer to real time and take action throughout the year.
- Access to this high-frequency, high-resolution data will better equip companies to start calculating Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and streamline Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) regulatory and corporate reporting.
- The capability will help companies prepare for some of the most pressing regulations across the globe, such as the US SEC Climate Disclosure Act, New York Fashion Act, and the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.
- By focusing first on factory data, Worldly hones in on the most essential information that both the manufacturers themself and companies sourcing for them, need to act on to make improvements.
The Highlights: The data will provide a snapshot view of impacts across water, energy, and waste, and is calculated to help companies with GRI reporting standards and complete Scope 3 data within CDP, while preparing for the most pressing regulations.
- Tools, Partnerships and Data: Through a combination of tools, primary data collection, partnerships, reporting and benchmarking capabilities, Worldly will provide the insights companies need for impact reduction, compliance and disclosure:
- Higg Index: Worldly is the exclusive licensee of the Higg Index, the sustainability impact measurement tools used by more apparel, footwear and textile brands than any other solution.
- Supplier management: In addition to the Higg Index tools, Worldly is offering a wide range of capabilities that make it easier to source supplier data – from simpler collection of monthly utility bills and automated supplier onboarding, to chemical management.
- Tracking impacts: Through impact measurement and analytics tools across a wide range of requirements — including Scope 3 carbon measurement, product design and materials — Worldly hopes to help brands track the impact of their products and supply chains.
- Improved data integrity: Worldly aims to drive data integrity and reliability through preferred partnerships with myriad organisations including SGS for third-party data assurance and certification.
- Reporting to brand partners: Worldly seeks to make it easier for manufacturers to gather and share their sustainability data with brand partners through tools like standardized self-assessments and utility bill submission – so they can spend less time on reporting and focus more on improvements.
- Benchmarking & reporting: Across these capabilities Worldly will enable brands to compare their suppliers to industry benchmarks, report their progress to customers and stakeholders as well as comply with regulatory frameworks.
The SGS Angle: Recognised as the global benchmark for sustainability, quality and integrity, SGS Assurance Services validate environmental data accuracy across the supply chain, through site visits and remote reviews. The benefits include:
- Confidence through data validated by a trusted third party;
- Demonstrate progress toward environmental commitments and impacts;
- Make sustainability-led decisions based on recent, updated and reliable data;
- Substantiate environmental claims and minimise greenwashing risk;
- Enhance transparency in supply chain to better understand changes;
- Comply with existing and upcoming environmental regulations.
Rebranding and partners: Featuring the most comprehensive source of ESG data for global manufacturers and the largest library of materials and product impacts, Worldly wants to empower businesses to scale responsibility into their global operations, faster and more accurately.
- Hosting, connecting with, and supporting the leading industry solutions and methodologies including ZDHC, Bluesign, and the Higg Index—the most widely-adopted measure of sustainability in the apparel industry—Worldly will deliver the insights businesses need to reduce their impact, comply with emerging regulatory and financial disclosure requirements and meet the expectations of a new generation of customers.
- Worldly’s new partnership with SGS supports the consumer goods industry’s need for validated, high-frequency, high-velocity primary data to report ESG progress and streamline regulatory disclosure efforts.
The backdrop: Developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI) was suspending globally after consumer watchdogs declared it illegal in Norway. It came under fire for being based on poor data and using a non-transparent approach resulting in misleading information on which fibre is more sustainable.
- Emerging federal and state legislation in the US, and EU holding businesses accountable for their environmental impacts will require disclosure of Scope 3 emissions and carbon data. Examples include the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Climate Risk Disclosure Act, the New York Fashion Act and the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
WHAT THEY SAID:
We believe the fashion, apparel and footwear industries are under tremendous pressure to transform how they do business. Businesses recognize the leadership opportunity of the deeper disclosure requirements they’re increasingly facing. And forward-thinking governments and agencies are developing legislative frameworks to decarbonize manufacturing supply chains and protect workers. Worldly is uniquely positioned to provide brands and manufacturers access to the primary data and insights they urgently need to understand their true impacts, make better sustainability decisions and comply with governmental regulation — all at scale – faster and with greater resolution than ever before.
— Jason Kibbey
Chief Executive Officer
Worldly
As consumers demand more transparency from the brands they love, and regulators and investors demand greater supply chain transparency, the fashion and consumer goods industries are under more pressure than ever to deliver trusted and validated primary impact data. Worldly’s new partnership with SGS supports the consumer goods industry’s need for validated, high-frequency, high-velocity primary data to report ESG progress and streamline regulatory disclosure efforts.
— James Schaffer
Chief Strategy Officer
Worldly
Businesses have made deep commitments and set ambitious carbon reduction goals through pledges and programs like the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). However, until now, they have not had the level of trusted data required to effectively report their impact and progress at scale. Through our strategic partnership with Worldly, SGS is excited to bring scalable, third-party data validation to the consumer goods industry, to help companies frequently and accurately report to stakeholders, comply with key legislation, enhance supply chain transparency and environmental efforts and claims, and reduce greenwashing risk.
— Jeff McDonald
Executive Vice-President
SGS
At Brooks Running, the majority of our Scope 3 emissions come from tier 2 materials manufacturers, which are the current focus of our emissions reduction strategy. We rely on Worldly to help us meet our climate action objectives and science-based targets. We use them to calculate our carbon and materials footprints so we can understand products’ and overall value chain impacts. And with near 100% adoption by our tier 1 and high-volume tier 2 facilities around the world, Worldly is the engine behind our responsible sourcing programs.
— Dave Kemp
Director (Corporate Responsibility)
Brooks
