Higg FEM Verification

For over 10 years, environmentally conscious retailers and brands have collaborated and focused efforts on reducing the environmental and social footprint of the apparel & footwear industries. This collaboration created the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and that caused a paradigm shift in supply chain awareness and commitment to environmental and social improvement. A core focus of the SAC has been the development of the Higg Index, as suit for the standard measurement of supply chain sustainability.

What is HIGG Index?

The HIGG Index is self-assessment process for assessing environmental and social sustainability throughout retailer and brand supply chains.

  • HIGG Index was developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC)
  • SAC is a multi-stakeholder nonprofit organization of brands, retailers, manufacturers, NGOs, academic and government affiliated to develop and promote the HIGG Index

What is HIGG FEM?

The Facility Environment Module (FEM) is a self-assessment tool used by facilities to evaluate environmental performance and practices.

  • Self-assessments are verified by an external FEM Eligible Verifier and shared via the higg.org platform. Accordia is a SAC Approved Verifying body
  • Manufacturers can demonstrate continual improvements to their environmental programs by posting successive FEM scores
  • The HIGG FEM is not an audit or a pass/fail assessment. HIGG provides a pathway to identify improvement opportunities

Why do Higg?

  • HIGG uncovers opportunities and identifies risks in factories and through retailer and brand supply chains
  • Setting short and long term goals to mitigate risks.
  • Understand and anticipate sustainability impacts and evaluate options to scale and adjust performance.
  • Enables management to focus and plan on long term goals and objectives
  • Communicate sustainability achievements to customers.

How Accordia can support you?

At Accordia, we can conduct the Higg Index verification for apparel and footwear manufacturing industries by a SAC Approved Chemical Specialist Verifier. Once our on-site assessors verify your assessment and issue the verification score it can be published and shared with your customers. It indicates your commitment to towards improvement of facility’s social and environmental performance.

  • The Higg Index delivers a holistic overview that empowers businesses to make meaningful improvements
    that protect the well-being of factory workers, local communities, and the environment
  • If you have questions you can attend our training on Higg Index FEM 3.1 conducted by our experienced trainers
  • Our experts can also help you implement projects in the areas of Energy Management & auditing, Environment Management and Assessment, Chemical Management, Compliance, Carbon footprint, water management and other environmental sustainability aspects. Such projects will help improve Higg Index FEM score and most importantly improve your facility’s social and environmental performance

 

High Index Verification Flow Chart

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