Apparel and footwear firms will soon have easy access to sustainability assessment with the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s (SAC) new web-based version of the Higg Index 2.0.
The Higg Index is a tool for apparel companies, which allows them “evaluate material types, products, facilities and processes based on a range of environmental and product design choices.” The Index asks companies qualitative practice-based questions that help determine a product’s sustainability performance and find ways to improve.
Schneider Electric, a global energy management specialist, announced in a press release last week that they will team up with SAC to develop the online tool using Schneider Electric’s sustainability and energy management software platform, StruxureWare Resource Advisor.
Jason Kibbey, Executive Director of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition said, “Finding the right software solution and sustainability partner were critical in our pursuit in taking the Higg Index to the next level.”
SAC hopes that in supplying a measure to determine environmental and social performance of these products, companies can the sustainability impacts of their products, increase business value by maximizing efficiency and create a means for communicating sustainability to stakeholders.
“By combining the technology foundation of Resource Advisor with the industry-leading elements of the Higg Index, the SAC and its members will advance their status as true leaders in social consciousness and supply chain transparency,” Steve Wilhite, Senior Vice President, Supply & Sustainability at Schneider Electric said.