
Transparency is the word that has been gaining traction especially over the last decade. A growing number of people now want brands to be more transparent, as transparency is the stepping stone towards being more sustainable.
In yet another sustainable endeavour, Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has joined hands with its technology partner Higg to unveil the first phase of a transparency programme.
It is all about sharing data on a product’s environmental impact, starting with its material content.
The SAC-Higg transparency programme provides a consistent way for brands, retailers and manufacturers to share sustainability information on apparel and footwear products, across impact categories such as water use, greenhouse gas emissions and use of fossil fuels.
Built on a decade’s worth of tool development, consumer testing and contributed environmental impact data, this first phase of the Higg Index transparency programme is a significant step towards a unified approach for industry-wide transparency.
Consequently, shoppers are provided with unprecedented visibility into a products’ real impact.
The main components of the programme are the Higg Index Sustainability Profile and the Higg Index Materials seal, both of which are based on independent and externally reviewed environmental impact data from the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI).
The encouraging aspect is to see some of the retail bigwigs extending their full support to the programme.
SAC members Amazon, Boozt, C&A, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger (owned by PVH Corp.), Columbia Sportswear, H&M, Helly Hansen, JustWears, Lenzing AG, Norrona, PUMA, Salomon and Zalando announced their commitment to implement the first phase of the programme on a wide selection of products available in the US and Europe, ranging from tops and skirts, to backpacks and purses.
While H&M and Norrona have started embedding Higg Index Sustainability Profiles on their e-commerce platforms in the US and Europe, C&A, Salomon, Tommy Hilfiger and Zalando plan to implement Sustainability Profiles on their platforms in the coming months.
Meanwhile, Amazon has also announced the addition of the Higg Index Materials seal to its list of trusted certifications for its Climate Pledge Friendly programme, which makes it easy for customers across the US and Europe to discover and shop for more sustainable products.
More on this, Amina Razvi, Executive Director, SAC, shared “Transparency itself is not the end game, but it’s a critical step for transforming the industry and establishing a new era of accountability.”
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is a global multi-stakeholder non-profit alliance for the consumer goods industry. It’s made up of more than 250 leading apparel, footwear and textile, brands, retailers, suppliers, service providers, trade associations, non-profits, NGOs and academic institutions working to reduce environmental impact and promote social justice throughout the global value chain.