On Wednesday, Higg, the consumer goods sustainability data company whose Higg Index is widely used as an environmental impact self-assessment tool for global apparel firms, announced a new partnership with the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) to provide carbon management for manufacturing facilities. The two will join with Carbon Leadership Program, an initiative started by Aii’s strategic parter RESET Carbon, to operate a carbon assessment program aimed at cutting global supply chain carbon emissions. Higg will serve as technology partner for the assessment.
Manufacturers that complete the assessment will receive a potential carbon reduction score, which will help brands to prioritize manufacturing partners with the highest potential for improvement. Nominated manufacturers will have the option to receive personalized strategies from a dedicated engineer, training, and tools to help set and achieve carbon targets, then sharing monthly assessment data via the Higg platform to help engineers and brands understand progress and identify future areas of improvement.
“The industry has long lacked a standard and pragmatic approach for manufacturing facilities to determine and achieve their carbon reduction potential,” said Kurt Kipka, VP of Aii. “When RESET Carbon proposed an in-depth facility questionnaire for creating curated action plans alongside the support of an engineer, we knew it was the perfect solution. Now, our brand partners can confidently nominate, and in some cases, sponsor manufacturing suppliers to help them set or confirm attainable reduction goals.”
“American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) is a longtime supporter of Higg, Aii and RESET Carbon. We view these organizations working together as a significant step for the retail industry and more importantly for climate change. Carbon Tech Assessment provides AEO the opportunity to develop more meaningful, impactful relationships with our partners while also prioritizing the suppliers we connect with,” said Michelle Tarry, Senior Director, Responsible Sourcing and Sustainability at AEO. “This enables AEO to move the conversation beyond introductory topics like energy efficiency to specific remedies, such as coal phase-out and renewable energy. With this data now available on the Higg platform, AEO will be able to reach suppliers faster and implement solutions more efficiently.”
Higg notes that given the “Scope 3” segment–i.e. the value chain partners not directly owned by a reporting organization–is responsible for most global supply chain emissions, it’s critical that apparel brands and their suppliers share data to collaborate on carbon reduction plans.
“At C&A, we understand the enormous risks climate change poses to our industry and the communities where we source from. Having had the privilege to pilot the Carbon Tech Assessment, we’re excited by the Aii and Higg integration. We look forward to using Higg’s platform to collect environmental data more efficiently, helping us support our suppliers by setting science backed climate goals and action plans as well as building practical knowledge on the implementation together,” said Eunice Cheung, Senior Project Officer in charge of Supply Chain Environmental Stewardship at apparel manufacturer C&A.
“We’re committed to providing businesses actionable data and insights on their carbon impact so they can evaluate emissions and make strategic decisions and changes to improve performance,” said Higg CEO Jason Kibbey. “Offering this carbon assessment on Higg’s platform allows brands access to even more data in one place, delivering a comprehensive view of their environmental impact.”
Brands are encouraged to nominate their apparel and footwear supply chain manufacturers to participate in the program.
