The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is an industry-wide group of more than 250 leading apparel, footwear, and textile, brands, retailers, suppliers, service providers, trade associations, nonprofits/NGOs, and academic institutions working to reduce the environmental and social impacts of products around the world. Through multi-stakeholder engagement, the SAC seeks to lead the industry toward a shared vision of sustainability built upon a common approach for measuring and evaluating apparel, footwear, and textile product sustainability performance that spotlights priorities for action and opportunities for technological innovation. The SAC was incorporated as a 501c(6) nonprofit organization and launched the groundbreaking Higg Index suite of tools in 2011.
THE SUSTAINABLE APPAREL COALITION (SAC)
METHODOLOGY
The Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM) is one of the self-assessment tools from the Higg Index, which includes questions to assess environmental performance of a facility. This allows manufactures to detect areas of improvement as it outlines the current best practice in the field.
Higg FEM is conducted on an announced or semi-announced base, and the verification can be conducted onsite or offsite. Furthermore, the facilities have the option to share it with their stakeholders, such as brand and retailers.
THE HIGG FEM MEASURES:
- Environmental management systems
- Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions
- Water use
- Wastewater
- Emissions to air (if applicable)
- Waste management
- Chemical use and management
AUDIT TIME
Audit cycle is Annualy
