Higg Index is an indicator of the apparel, footwear and textile industry's underlying tools that enable companies to evaluate raw material types, products, manufacturing plants and processes within the context of environmental and product design choices.

The Higg Index is the standard tool for more than 8,000 manufacturers and 150 brands worldwide to use sustainability reports. It eliminates the need for repeated self-assessment and helps identify opportunities to improve performance.

The Higg Index is an online self-assessment tool developed by the US Sustainable Clothing Alliance (SAC). The SAC is made up of well-known clothing brand companies, the US Environmental Protection Agency and other NGOs.

The Higg Index is also an innovative self-assessment tool that helps organizations regulate how they measure and evaluate the environmental performance of apparel products at all levels of the brand, product and factory throughout the supply chain. For example, the size of clothing, footwear, textile industry. Retail and institutional self-assessed environmental and social labor performance and identified opportunities for improvement. It allows you to quickly learn the hot spots and opportunities for improvement that identify environmental sustainability; a starting point for stakeholder participation, education, and collaboration to improve before more rigorous assessments are implemented.

The Higg Index measures environmental sustainability through production practices and qualitative issues and promotes the implementation of improvement measures. It is largely based on the eco-friendly index and Nike's clothing environment design tool, however, it has been significantly improved through a period of pilot testing.

The Higg Index's scoring system is designed to drive changes in behavior. Scores are only available if each issue has actions, decisions, and practices that may drive better sustainable outcomes.

The factory module consists of seven sections covering the environmental impacts of the life cycle of apparel and footwear products.

The plant module consists of seven sections: energy/greenhouse gas emissions, water, wastewater/sewage, exhaust emissions, waste and chemicals management. Each section includes a three-level structure (Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3) that reflects the general threshold for environmental practices. Unless both Level 1 and Question 2 are answered, in general (but not all), the third level answer will not be "Yes". However, when you want to give a positive answer to a question and need a prerequisite. In other words, if you have a Level 3 practice but don't have Level 1 practice, you will still get a Level 3 score.

The tertiary structure is:

Level 1 = awareness, understanding, and benchmark performance.

Level 2 = Planning and Management.

Level 3 = Achieve sustainable development measures / Confirm performance and progress.

There is no performance threshold for the assessment of the facility's scores (for example, the range is "Gold", "Silver", "Copper"). It is up to each agency to determine how to interpret the total score of the facility. After completing this module, you will have a better understanding of your environmental performance levels. It is recommended that you use the three-level structure of the module to guide your facility for continuous improvement in environmental management.

The Higg Index document list includes environmental management systems, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, water, wastewater and wastewater, exhaust emissions, waste management, and chemicals management.

1. List of environmental management system documents

1) Knowledge of plant environmental impact information; environmental performance management structure; task responsibilities; environmental permit: non-conformity information.

Environmental impact assessment analysis report.

Recent local government environmental audit report.

The environmental management team organization and job description record the environmental management system documentation.

Effective license: factory production process, exhaust emissions, wastewater discharge, solid waste / hazardous waste disposal.

Corrective action requirements.

2) Detailed information on the plant's environmental management system policies, objectives, tracking measurements, training and review architecture.

Environmental management plan.

Corporate Sustainability Report EMS Internal Audit Report.

The system or SOP review records EMS training records and manuals.

Environmental goals (3-5 years or more) and strategies.

3) Cooperate with suppliers or subcontractors to communicate with internal and external stakeholders on the environmental protection success of the public, and the certification of the environmental management system, if any:

Contracts, agreements, and communication records with suppliers or subcontractors.

Environmental performance communication poster/notice/report in the plant area.

An independent third party or authorized internal auditor reviews the report.

EMS certificate.

2. A list of water use documents.

1) Water saving goals, historical water audit details.

Environmental management plan.

Water audit report.

Water saving target.

2) Detailed information on water resources and annual water consumption.

Various water source procurement records (monthly bills).

Annual water use record.

Water metering plan.

3) Water conditions and measures taken.

Reduce environmental impact implementation plans.

Newly adopted environmentally friendly technical specifications/experimental reports.

3. List of documents on energy use and greenhouse gas emissions

1) Annual energy consumption, energy sources and greenhouse gas emissions information.

Electricity, fuel and other energy purchase records (such as monthly bills).

Measurement plan.

Carbon Audit Report / Greenhouse Gas (GHG) List.

2) Detailed information on historical energy audits for reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions targets.

Environmental management plan.

Energy audit report.

Energy saving plan.

3) Regarding the energy-saving achievements and measures taken, the objectives are reviewed, and the detailed information on the GHG results and measures taken has been obtained.

Energy and carbon tracking report.

Technical specifications/experimental reports for newly adopted environmentally friendly technologies.

Renewable energy procurement records.

On-site renewable energy generation records.

Carbon offset purchase record.

4. List of waste water and sewage documents.

1) Objectives and detailed information for improving wastewater quality.

Wastewater quality test report.

Action plan to improve wastewater quality.

2) Details of wastewater improvement and measures taken.

Reduce environmental impact implementation plans.

Newly adopted environmentally friendly technical specifications/experimental reports.

3) Annual wastewater generation details.

Wastewater treatment flow chart.

Treated wastewater.

Water quality report.

Annual wastewater discharge records (quality and quantity).

4. List of exhaust emission documents

1) On-site exhaust emissions.

# Exhaust gas quality report (such as boiler exhaust gas detection, power plant air quality).

Exhaust emission list.

2) Waste gas emission reduction targets and detailed information.

Exhaust emission targets, emission reduction plans and strategies.

3) The results of the emission reduction and the measures taken have achieved the objectives and achieved measures.

Reduce environmental impact implementation plans.

Technical specifications/experimental reports for newly adopted environmentally friendly technologies.

Exhaust gas quality monitoring demonstrating the effectiveness of exhaust gas reduction measures.

6. List of waste management documents

1) Detailed information on the waste generated on site.

Waste list.

Annual waste disposal/recycling records.

Training materials and records for waste disposal and isolation.

2) Waste reduction results and measures taken have achieved goals and achieved measures.

Reduce environmental impact implementation plans.

Waste disposal/recycling records demonstrating the effectiveness of waste reduction measures.

3) Waste reduction target.

Reduce waste target documents and strategies.

Waste management plan.

Waste recycling projects and details.

7. List of management documents for chemical products.

1) Measures and detailed information on the improvement of chemical management performance and improvement.

Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) Chemical Management Module Evaluation Report.

Action/implementation plan for alternative chemical assessment.

Chemical use records, reduction of chemical results and proof of achievement.

2) Existing chemical management measures and compliance plans and details.

# Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) Chemical Management Module Evaluation Report.

Annual chemical regulatory review.

Restricted Substances List (RSL).

Chemical inventory list / on-site use of chemicals list.

Ensure RSL compliance workflow.

RSL non-compliance corrective action.

3) Reducing chemical targets and action plans,

Improve the chemicals management action plan.

Restricted Substances List (RSL).

Alternative chemical assessment report.

The Higg Index is a sustainable tool designed to assess the environmental and social impact of apparel and footwear products. The Higg Index (version 1.0) was launched by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) in July 2012.

SAC is an industry group whose members cover more than one-third of the global apparel and footwear market. Its updated version (Higg Index 2.0) was released in December 2013, and a new feature was introduced in the new version - Network Tool, which allows suppliers to submit Higg Index online.

The goals of the Sustainable Apparel Alliance are:

1. Understand and quantify the sustainability impact of apparel and footwear products.

2. Greatly reduce the measurement of sustainability in the redundant apparel and footwear industry.

3. Drive business value by reducing risk and exposing efficiency.

4. Establish common communication pathways for sustainability with stakeholders.

This factory module section allows suppliers to regulate how they measure and evaluate the environmental performance of their facilities.

The factory module section can be considered as:

1. A facility-level self-assessment tool that allows users to quickly learn, identify environmental sustainability hotspots, current levels, and opportunities for improvement.

2. A starting point for mobilizing stakeholder engagement, education and collaboration before conducting more rigorous assessments.

The ultimate goal of the Higg Index is to let organizations know their strengths and weaknesses, drive business value across the value chain through cost savings and innovation opportunities, and promote sustainable education and collaboration.

What are the obvious characteristics of Higg Index, FEM, SLCP?

1. First of all, whether it is SLCP/FSLM or FEM, they are just an industry standard and a measurement tool. They are not traditional audits, no PASS, FAIL, but just verification.

2. There is no inclination in Higg Index, SLCP checklist, and also no PASS / FAIL, serious, important, secondary, etc. The problem points are severely divided, but only focus on information collecting.

3. The FEM/FSLM process is generally completed by the supplier, and then the customer or the accredited third-party verification agency conducts on-site verification of the accuracy of the factory self-assessment data. As for whether the factory meets the customer's requirements, the customer is rated according to the verified report. Therefore, a professional verifier may tell the factory when verifying that your self-assessment data is not accurate, but will not tell the factory that one of your points does not meet regulatory requirements or customer requirements.

4. It should be pointed out that the inspection point of FEM includes about 1000 points for the chemical part, and about 3000 points for SLCP/FSLM. According to experience, it takes about 2-3 weeks for a factory to complete a self-assessment, so the supplier is When completing the self-assessment requested by the customer, remember to allow sufficient time to ensure that the self-assessment is completed before the node requested by the customer.

The above four points are unique features of the Higg Index and SLCP.