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Higg Facility Tools
The Higg Facility Tools provide insights into social and environmental performance of manufacturing facilities so users can identify opportunities for continuous sustainability improvement.
From resource and energy use (Higg FEM) to working conditions (Higg FSLM), these tools provide insights that are critical to transforming the consumer goods industry into one that gives back more than it takes from people and the planet.
Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM)
A 2024 Fast Company “World Changing Ideas” finalist. For over a decade, the Higg FEM tool has helped companies build sustainability strategies based on credible data, pinpoint hotspots, and make breakthrough improvements on a global scale; today, it is used by over 20,000 companies worldwide.
The Higg FEM is a transformative tool used to assess the environmental impact of product manufacturing at facilities. Every stage of the production process is captured through this tool: from water and waste management to chemical and energy use. The Higg FEM not only uncovers hotspot areas for improvement, but also reduces redundancy and mitigates risk.
Higg FEM 4.0
The most comprehensive assessment for environmental performance in the consumer goods industry.
Higg FEM Data Quality
Ensuring high-quality data is essential to the success of the Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM). Cascale and Worldly are committed to enhancing data accuracy and credibility through planned updates.
With the rollout of Higg FEM 4.0, some users identified data quality concerns stemming from enhanced questions, new data points, and deeper quantitative analyses. Cascale and Worldly have introduced measures to address these challenges, covering the full data life cycle. These include preventing inaccurate submissions, refining questions and guidance, and enhancing backend processes and verification practices.
Higg FEM Feedback
At Cascale, we deeply value the insights and feedback of our members, Higg Index users, and stakeholders, as they play a vital role in shaping and improving our tools. We invite you to submit your feedback on the Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM). Your input, particularly regarding suggested improvements to the module, will help us enhance its functionality, usability, and effectiveness.
The Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (Higg FSLM)
The Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (Higg FSLM) Converged Assessment Framework (CAF) fosters safe and equitable social and labor conditions worldwide by leveraging tracking management systems, operational controls, oversight, and engagement with workers and stakeholders. Developed based on the Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) framework, the Higg FSLM CAF uses a universal scoring system to enhance social performance in manufacturing facilities globally.
This system provides valuable insights to guide better actions, decisions, and practices. It is utilized by brands, retailers, and manufacturers of all sizes to evaluate the working conditions of employees who produce billions of consumer goods annually. The scoring focuses on critical factors, including wages, working hours, health and safety standards, and the treatment of employees, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of social impact within facilities.
Communicating Your Higg Index Performance
Cascale provides guidelines on sharing your Higg Index performance as part of any business to business (B2B) or business to consumer (B2C) communications. Please review the Higg Index Communication Guidelines for more information.
Accessing the Higg Facility Tools
The Higg Index Tools are owned by Cascale and exclusively licensed to Worldly, the leading platform for sustainability data and analytics in consumer goods supply chains. Although Cascale members benefit from exclusive community support, educational experiences, and collaborative opportunities, the Higg Index suite of tools can be accessed through Worldly without Cascale membership.
Resources
Cascale team member Dhawall Mane director, verification, training and insights, recently participated in a virtual To the Finish Line (TFL) event organized by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Vietnam.
In partnership with Worldly, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) launched the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) 4.0 tool – an industry milestone in sustainability reporting to meet pressing environmental issues and industry standards.
The German Agency for International Cooperation, the service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development, recently hosted a webinar to highlight key changes between Higg FEM 3.0 and the forthcoming Higg FEM 4.0.
