Higg index review reveals major shortcomings
Consultancy group KPMG has suggested integrating the Higg Material Sustainability Index (MSI) with the Higg Product Module (PM) and improving data quality.
Ahead of the review, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) asked KPMG to review the Higg Index suite of tools used in the textiles and fashion industry. The review identified the need to integrate the Higg Material Sustainability Index (MSI) with the Higg Product Module (PM) and improve the quality of data. The panel of experts also suggested implementing warnings for users of the platform to avoid inappropriate comparisons and providing better documentation for the goal and scope definition of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study.
The review highlighted several areas where the Higg MSI and Higg PM were not compliant with ISO standards and raised concerns about the lack of a clear functional unit definition. To address these issues, SAC is collaborating with supply chain stakeholders to gather available data, identify gaps, account for geographic differences, and build consistent LCA models to track progress over time.
The review panel, consisting of industry representatives, provided valuable insights and sparked meaningful discussions on how to improve the tools to drive greater impact. SAC is now evaluating the feedback and recommendations to determine how best to address each one, with the goal of implementing changes in the next phase of regular tool updates. Additionally, SAC will develop recommended signals and warnings and provide education and training to help users use the tools more effectively.
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