The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and its technology partner Higg have released the latest version of the Higg Brand & Retail Module (BRM), one of the five assessment tools in the Higg Index.
- This new version of the assessment has been reorganised across 11 key areas, split across three pillars (environmental impacts, social impacts, governance) to be more relevant to where the industry needs to drive change, faster.
- The updated Higg BRM is now available for brands and retailers to measure and report on their ESG impacts to understand their progress and identify areas for improvement with clarity and transparency.
- The update is based on research by the SAC’s Higg BRM team and is the result of one year of consultations and with over 75 stakeholders including members and industry experts to ensure close alignment with standard assessment protocols.
- Brands and retailers can use the Higg BRM to understand their performance in these areas: Environment: climate, water, waste, biodiversity and chemicals; Social: workers, employees, consumers and communities; Governance: structure and management, ethics and behaviour.
The Updates: The new assessment has added biodiversity as a new impact area and now features more in-depth questions on water and circularity as key impact areas and levers of change in the tool.
- The questions have also been revised to align with best in class standards; for example alignment with best practice guidance on responsible purchasing practices.
- The scoring methodology has been simplified so it can be shared with users openly.
- The Higg BRM now provides one finite score out of 100, in addition to score breakdowns per pillar and impact area, making it easier to understand, communicate and benchmark against peers.
- The assessment has been restructured to provide greater value for different organisations to prioritise the industry’s pressing ESG issues and focusing on impacts and results.
- Other benefits include the reduction of reporting burden through alignment with relevant frameworks and by eliminating the duplication across the entire questionnaire.
The Module: The Higg BRM is a leading, holistic framework that creates an industry specific method for brands and retailers to evaluate, report on and improve Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance along their global value chains.
- The SAC has invested in a major update of the tool which will feature a new assessment structure and updated methodology, underpinned by a due diligence approach.
- The update, the Coalition feels, will encourage brands and retailers to focus on real action, impact and results.
The Backdrop: The SAC mentioned recent findings from The Industry We Want, which in partnership with Fair Wear, the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), has revealed the apparel and footwear industry is not making fast enough progress on purchasing practices, supply chain wages and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
- In order to drive the scale of transformation needed, brands and retailers need a clear and standardised picture of their environmental and social hotspots, to create a clear roadmap for transformation.
Other Highlights: The new version has been developed in collaboration with members, key partner organisations including Apparel Alliance members Textile Exchange and ZDHC who contributed to the development of specific content on materials, biodiversity, circularity and chemicals.
- The SAC also engaged STTI and the Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives Working Group of the Common Framework of Responsible Purchasing Practice (CFRPP), represented by Fair Wear, who provided input and feedback on the responsible purchasing practices section of the assessment.
- SAC members across all territories were also consulted and the SAC hosted three regional roundtables to ensure all geographies were represented.
What They Said:
We are excited to release the latest version of our Higg Brand & Retail Module, which marks a major milestone for the SAC. This update is the result of an incredible level of engagement with experts and stakeholders from across the industry, to whom we are truly grateful for the time and input provided. This process has allowed us to better align with existing industry assessment frameworks, and make sure we are addressing the needs and expectations of our members and the industry at large. Our tools must evolve to continuously improve, and while this update is a step in that direction, we will continue to iterate the BRM as the industry progresses, legislation evolves and we continue to gather insights and feedback from BRM users and other stakeholders.
— Jeremy Lardeau
Vice-President, Higg Index
Sustainable Apparel Coalition
The release of the latest version of our Higg Brand & Retail Module is a clear reflection of our mission at the SAC to transform business for exponential impact through groundbreaking tools, collaborative partnerships, and trusted leadership for industry sustainability. From the new assessment structure, to the updated methodology, we are proud of the work we have done to get to this point, we believe the latest version will provide deeper insights and value for brands and retailers and we look forward to continuing supporting them on their sustainability journeys.
— Maravillas Rodriguez Zarco
Director, Higg Brand & Retail
Sustainable Apparel Coalition
It is exciting to see the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s investment to move the Higg Brand & Retail Module in this direction, adding crucial updates including biodiversity as a new impact area and moving to closer alignment with our Materials Benchmark program (formally known as Corporate Fiber and Material Benchmark). We are pleased that as a part of the apparel alliance, we can continue to support on progressing our shared goal of moving the industry towards 45% GHG reduction by 2030 by providing a source for raw materials uptake information, and collaborate to streamline reporting across the fashion, apparel and textile industry.
— Sarah Needham
Director of Stakeholder Engagement
Textile Exchange
