Higg FEM， Improve the credibility and accuracy of data

Transparency is the key to implementing sustainable development strategies in the global fashion industry. It helps to address upstream issues and understand in which areas and how to support businesses in addressing the challenges of achieving sustainable development goals. Cascale aims to reduce the impact of clothing and footwear products on the global environment and society. To achieve this goal, it focuses on developing andusing Higg Index tools, including the Facility Environment Module (FEM).

Higg FEM is an annual self-assessment tool used to evaluate environmental performance, which clearly depicts the impact of factories on the environment. Each stage of the production process can be recorded through this tool, from water use to waste management, to chemical and energy use.

This approach not only identifies hotspots that need improvement, but also reduces redundancy, reduces risks, and creates a universal language for communicating sustainability to stakeholders.

After the evaluation is completed, you must ensure that all parts of Higg FEM are accurately completed - giving your self-assessment the credibility and accuracy required for public sharing. Displaying accuracy is the reason why Cascale's accredited validator needs to verify your FEM self-assessment.

The advantages of Higg FEM 4.0

Better data quality: Higg FEM 4.0 provides more detailed and relevant data. The changes in the Higg FEM tool are a direct result of the demands of members and users for more precise and accurate information, and a noteworthy new feature is the anomaly detector, aimed at identifying errors in real-time.

Consistent with global industry standards: Higg FEM 4.0 is consistent with major industry standards, including GHG protocols, the Scientific Carbon Target Initiative, and the ZDHC Zero Emissions Roadmap. In addition, this tool makes industry benchmarking a reality. It takes into account regulations in its design, so members can have an overall understanding to support their consistency.

Expanding the scope of environmental issues: The updated content covers more relevant environmental impacts (such as groundwater pollution) to ensure that the tool reflectsthe key impact areas that businesses need to assess and address current challenges.

Improving assessment relevance: By improving applicability standards, users now only see issues related to their specific operations, so they can reduce the time spent on assessment issues that are not related to them. Suppliers also benefit from simplified auditing.

Significant platform improvements: In addition to the new anomaly detector, Higg FEM 4.0 also provides more convenient guidance access, optimized data export, and an expanded online training library.

Validation update: In order to alleviate the expected increase in validation costs caused by extended questionnaire survey time, the 2024 FEM validation cycle will be narrowed down to a core set of issues covering basic practices and key impact indicators (greenhouse gas emissions and water use).