Sustainable fashion requires a comprehensive approach

Since its establishment in 2009, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has recognized that sustainability is a multifaceted topic. From the perspective of environment, there are many aspects to be considered, including the impact of creating different synthetic and natural raw materials, the manufacturing decision to convert these raw materials into products, the number of times the product is used at the end of its service life, as well as responsible procurement practices and the working conditions of clothing manufacturers.

Given this complex reality, measuring sustainability can never be limited to one standard. SAC has always advocated that its members, including retailers, brands, manufacturers and affiliates, take a broad approach to ensure that production methods, social impactand the entire value chain are considered. This is why the Higg Index's tool kit for measuring sustainability covers a variety of topics, such as water use, carbon emissions and labor conditions.

Higg series tools can measure the impact of every point in the clothing life cycle and reflect the complexity of the real world. What problems can be solved?

discharge

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential. In order to achieve net zero emissions and prevent runaway global warming, all manufacturers, retailers, brands and suppliers must urgently decarbonize. SAC has also recently launched a decarbonization plan, which requires all members to develop science-based goals. The latest version of Higg FEM 4.0, which will be released in November 2023, also updates the use of renewable energy and scientific carbon emission reduction goals and other new issues.

Supply chain

Fashion is a complex global industry with supply chains spread across all continents. In this regard, real sustainability can only be achieved through collective action. Therefore, SAC recommends that all members develop and understand their supply chain and work with them to develop a roadmap to set goals and promote improvement. This includes decarbonization, reducing water use, reducing waste, and ensuring that all workers enjoy fair wages and conditions.

To this end, Higg Factory Environment Module (FEM) provides manufacturers, brands and retailers with insights on the environmental performance of individual factories or production facilities, and uses practical and qualitative questions to evaluate the performance of environmental sustainable development, so as to promote manufacturers to improve.

From a social perspective, the Higg Factory Social and Labor Module (Higg FSLM) helps to promote safe and fair social and labor conditions for workers in the value chain around the world. It not only provides a scoring model, eliminates the need for brands to conduct independent audits to evaluate factory performance, and reduces audit fatigue, but also allows enterprises to spend time and resources on lasting systematic changes rather than focusing on compliance.

Product processing selection

Fashion brands must also consider the production methods of products. Different methods lead to different emissions and environmental impacts. In order to minimize the carbon footprint, the company can use Higg MSI to compare the emission scale generatedby different processes. In order to make this comparison possible, we used the industry average of the carbon intensity of the energy network structure. Once they have compared the relative impact of similar processes, they can use Higg FEM to choose which factory in which region of the world provides the correct process, and combine the combination of low-carbon local energy networks.

Different fabrics

Raw materials are important, although sometimes their importance may be overestimated. The World Resources Institute and Apparel Impact Institute released a report using the impact data of Higg MSI. The report shows that even before the use or end of life, raw materials only account for about one quarter of the impact of manufactured products.

As the interventions highlighted in the report show, the nature of fabrics, whether natural, synthetic, organic or recycled, is not the main issue of their sustainability.

In fact, data from Higg MSI show that simple fiber replacement usually does not significantly reduce the carbon footprint of clothing. Other factors, such as emissions during production, are often more influential.

Wearing of every garment

The poorly designed clothing is obviously more unsustainable than the high-quality clothing that has been loved and used for many years. SAC believes that it is important to evaluate the quality and life of brand products as part of its sustainability ranking. Higg product module (PM) measures the environmental impact of the whole life cycle of the product from resource exploitation to manufacturing impact, to the end of durability, care and use of the product.

True sustainability

Sustainability is a comprehensive term covering a series of interrelated issues, which is multifaceted. Sometimes, solving a problem needs to be weighed elsewhere. The key is to analyze the most scientific and accurate data in each field, and then formulate a comprehensive plan. When it comes to protecting human beings and the earth, we should always aspire to become better. In practice, this means taking a broad approach.