News Updates / Cascale’s Higg FEM Recognized in EFRAG’s New SME Report

Cascale’s Higg FEM Recognized in EFRAG’s New SME Report

EU Green Claims

EFRAG highlights Higg FEM among leading platforms supporting SMEs in meeting EU sustainability requirements.

Detail of the facade of the European Parliament 'Paul Henri-Spaak' building via Unsplash.

In September, the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) published its Mapping of Digital Platforms and Initiatives for SME Sustainability Reporting, a comprehensive review of tools helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) align with EU sustainability requirements, including the new Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standards for SMEs (VSME).

Out of 223 platforms and initiatives surveyed, Cascale’s Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM) – available exclusively on the Worldly platform – was highlighted among a small group of platforms shortlisted for deeper review. This recognition underscores Higg FEM’s credibility and strong positioning within Europe’s sustainability reporting ecosystem, particularly the Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standards for SMEs (VSME).

As EU policymakers explore ways to ease compliance challenges for SMEs, EFRAG’s findings highlight the critical role of industry-developed, data-driven solutions like Higg FEM in delivering practical and scalable pathways for environmental transparency and performance improvement.

Please note that the inclusion of a tool, platform, or initiative in these reports should not be interpreted as a form of direct or indirect endorsement or certification by EFRAG.

Blogs / Cascale, Policy Hub In Brussels: Unified Voice in Sustainability

Cascale, Policy Hub In Brussels: Unified Voice in Sustainability

Policy and Legislation

Elisabeth von Reitzenstein, Cascale’s Senior Director of Policy and Public Affairs, highlights how Cascale and Policy Hub are partnering to shape the rules of the game in Brussels.

Photo of building in Brussels with national flags

Elisabeth von Reitzenstein

October 10, 2025

As sustainability regulation accelerates, Cascale’s members face an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.

Legislative frameworks are advancing faster than voluntary action, which means it is critical that Cascale’s Higg Index tools are aligned with evolving requirements and continue to serve as effective pathways to support compliance.

Our members expect more than just tools: they expect foresight, influence, and support in navigating new obligations. Our manufacturer members, in particular, need support in interpreting complex regulations into practical guidance and in ensuring their perspectives are well represented.

Cascale advances policy influence, alignment, and education through two complementary channels: The Cascale Public Affairs function and collaboration with the Policy Hub, a unique Brussels-based coalition for the textile sector. Cascale co-founded the Policy Hub in 2019 to help the textile sector speak with one strong, unified voice and to ensure that all stakeholders have an equal say in shaping ambitious yet practical EU legislation.

Today, Cascale continues to play a key role by bringing insights from the Higg Index tools and its global network of members into the Policy Hub’s discussions, bridging practical experience with policy action. By working together through these two channels, we give members a holistic view of global legislation and contribute to the mission of ensuring a stronger, more unified voice of the textile sector in Brussels and globally.

Cascale holds a unique position to shape industry practices, influence regulation, and provide members with effective tools to support their compliance obligations via the Higg Index, the most widely used standardized measurement framework within the apparel and footwear industry, developed and owned by Cascale and exclusively licensed to Worldly. Cascale is actively working to maximize compliance by aligning the Higg Index and other Cascale methodologies with global legislation. To continuously improve the relevance of the Higg Index, Cascale contributes to Policy Hub’s workstreams and position papers, ultimately providing greater clarity and simplification for members.

In Brussels, Cascale leverages the Policy Hub as its primary advocacy channel. The Policy Hub leads the sector-wide dialogue to build consensus across the entire textile value chain on EU policy priorities, while also engaging directly with policymakers on the technical details needed to make legislation both ambitious and implementable. Through its workstreams and position papers, Policy Hub provides collective credibility and efficiency, ensuring that its members, including Cascale, are meaningfully represented in EU discussions, avoiding duplication via advocacy for standardized industry tools, and amplifying their impact.

This collaboration allows Cascale to combine its technical and global leadership with Policy Hub’s Brussels-based mandate, ensuring members have both the tools and the policy engagement necessary to thrive in a fast-changing environment.

Over the next few months, we will keep the industry informed about how we are working to influence forthcoming EU legislation and highlight ways in which Cascale members can get involved in shaping the regulatory environment of the future.

Also, look out for more content from me and the team on how Cascale is supporting members globally to understand better the global policy landscape and what it means for them specifically.

News Updates / Cascale Celebrates Official Launch of PEFCR for Apparel & Footwear in Brussels

Cascale Celebrates Official Launch of PEFCR for Apparel & Footwear in Brussels

Legislation and Policy

Cascale celebrates five-year, multi-stakeholder collaboration to shape credible sustainability standards

Cascale celebrates five-year, multi-stakeholder collaboration to shape credible sustainability standards

On June 25, 2025, Cascale joined policymakers, industry leaders, and sustainability experts in Brussels for the official launch of the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for Apparel and Footwear — a groundbreaking step toward a unified approach to measuring environmental impact across the sector.

The event, hosted at the Sofitel Brussels Hotel, marked the successful completion of a five-year, multi-stakeholder initiative. With formal approval from both the Technical Secretariat and the European Commission, the PEFCR now stands as the most advanced and harmonized life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology for the apparel and footwear industry. It is poised to serve as a key building block for forthcoming EU regulations such as the Green Claims Directive and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.

Cascale has played a central role in the development of the PEFCR for Apparel & Footwear, serving as Coordinator of the Technical Secretariat since 2019.

Following a keynote from Emmanuelle Maire, Head of Unit for Circular Economy, Sustainable Production & Consumption at DG ENVI, European Commission, Andrew Martin, executive vice president at Cascale, delivered a welcome address, highlighting the scale of collaboration between industry, civil society, and policymakers that made the PEFCR possible. He also emphasized the importance of ensuring that the PEFCR continues to evolve, guided by robust data and aligned with meaningful environmental progress.

The event also featured a panel moderated by Cascale’s senior director for policy & public affairs, Elisabeth von Reitzenstein. Panelists from the European Commission, Policy Hub, and ECOS discussed the regulatory roadmap and how the PEFCR framework will help shape credible, science-based claims for products in the EU market, despite the recent uncertainties around the Green Claims Directives.

Cascale’s leadership in this process reflects its long-standing commitment to advancing environmental performance in the apparel and footwear sector. From convening global stakeholders to aligning industry tools, such as the Higg Index, with PEF standards, Cascale is proud to support a more transparent, data-driven approach to product sustainability.

To learn more about Cascale’s work on the PEFCR for Apparel & Footwear, click here.

Following the event, Cascale, in collaboration with Worldly, published a policy deep dive titled “One Market, Two Systems – What PEFCR and France’s Environmental Cost Mean for Apparel & Footwear.” This publication explores two emerging regulatory frameworks — the EU’s PEFCR and France’s Environmental Cost (Coût Environnemental) — both of which are poised to shape product-level environmental disclosures across Europe. The piece outlines key differences, implications, and what brands, manufacturers, and suppliers need to know to navigate these evolving requirements. Download the full publication here.

Publications / Policy Deep Dive: One Market, Two Systems: What PEFCR and France’s Environmental Cost Mean for Apparel & Footwear

Policy Deep Dive: One Market, Two Systems: What PEFCR and France’s Environmental Cost Mean for Apparel & Footwear

Legislation and Policy

This exclusive report, published by Cascale and Worldly, breaks down two critical policy frameworks shaping product-level environmental disclosure in the EU — and what they mean for apparel and footwear companies worldwide.

Please fill out the form to download the publication

What you’ll learn:

Key differences between the EU PEFCR and France’s Environmental Cost framework
What’s expected of manufacturers, brands, and retailers
How tools like the Higg Index and Worldly’s Product Impact Calculator can support you

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Publications / Policy Deep Dive: Navigating Regulation and Building Resilience: Key Trends in Corporate Supply Chain Responsibility for APAC in 2025

Policy Deep Dive: Navigating Regulation and Building Resilience: Key Trends in Corporate Supply Chain Responsibility for APAC in 2025

Legislation and Policy

This report, published by Cascale and Worldly, examines the growing trend of climate- and supply chain-related regulations across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and their implications for global brands, manufacturers, and suppliers.

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Publications / Policy Deep Dive: Building a Global Baseline: The Role of IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards

Policy Deep Dive: Building a Global Baseline: The Role of IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards

Legislation and Policy

Explore Cascale & Worldly’s policy deep dive into IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards. This comprehensive analysis provides critical insights into the evolving global framework for sustainability and climate-related disclosures—focusing on IFRS S1 and S2—and examines their implications for businesses across the consumer goods, textile, apparel, and fashion sectors. With actionable guidance and practical recommendations, Cascale and Worldly equip members and customers with the tools to navigate fast-changing regulatory landscapes, enhance transparency, and build investor trust. Download the full deep dive now.

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News Updates / Cascale, SLCP, and Worldly Co-Host Webinar on Higg FSLM to Support Social Compliance

Cascale, SLCP, and Worldly Co-Host Webinar on Higg FSLM to Support Social Compliance

Higg BRM
Policy and Legislation

Two people in a factory, wearing helmets. Machinery is visible in the background.

On November 6, Cascale, the Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP), and Worldly, the leading sustainability data insights platform, co-hosted the latest webinar in the Navigating Legislation & the Higg Index series, titled “Higg FSLM in Supporting Social Compliance.”

The webinar brought together industry experts to explore the evolving regulatory landscape and how Cascale’s Higg Facility Social Labor Module (Higg FSLM) based on the SLCP’s Converged Assessment Framework (CAF) can help companies navigate social compliance obligations.

This webinar, the third in the series, focused on the intersection of social compliance and legislative frameworks that impact supply chain management. Gabriele Ballero, public affairs manager at Cascale, moderated the session, which featured insights from Elisabeth von Reitzenstein, senior director of public affairs at Cascale; Orine Dsouza, senior manager, Higg Facility Tools at Cascale; Tom Mason, senior policy & stakeholder engagement manager at SLCP; and Vic Lau, customer success manager at Worldly.

The session attracted a diverse audience of sustainability specialists, ESG managers, compliance officers, and other professionals eager to understand how the Higg FSLM (based on SLCP’s CAF) aligns with emerging global regulations. Attendees engaged in a discussion on how the Higg FSLM can support compliance with regulations designed to improve human rights and forced labor standards in global supply chains.

Key Insights from the Webinar:

During the webinar, von Reitzenstein provided an overview of the rapidly evolving EU and U.S. regulations, such as the EU CS3D, the German Supply Chain Act, and the U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. She highlighted the growing importance of Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) and how these regulations are shaping the future of supply chain transparency and accountability.

Dsouza outlined the Higg FSLM, which is based on SLCP’s CAF. The tool offers a standardized, data-driven approach to assessing social and labor compliance in manufacturing facilities. Dsouza explained that the tool helps manufacturers reduce audit fatigue, easily compare data, and allocate resources more effectively for continuous improvement.

Mason discussed how SLCP is mapping the CAF against evolving legislation and emphasized the importance of aligning social compliance tools with regulatory requirements. Mason also highlighted SLCP’s HRDD Toolkit, which supports companies in understanding how the CAF can help them to meet compliance obligations, and previewed updates to the CAF slated for Q1 2025 to enhance policy alignment.

Lau demonstrated how Worldly’s platform hosts Cascale’s Higg Index suite of tools, including the Higg FSLM, and how they have made assessment results more user-friendly. Lau explained how the platform’s summaries and scoring features enable companies to track their progress year over year to support users in improving social and labor conditions and reducing audit fatigue for supply chain facilities.

Also, during the webinar, von Reitzenstein announced a strengthened partnership between Cascale and SLCP. Together, they have developed a joint public affairs vision statement to align efforts in policy and advocacy. This collaboration ensures that tools like SLCP’s CAF and Higg FSLM are effectively integrated into social policy frameworks, driving global improvements in labor standards and ethical practices within the industry.

The Higg FSLM, supported by the strategic collaboration between Cascale, SLCP, and Worldly, will continue to evolve to meet the needs of companies navigating regulatory requirements. Cascale’s Navigating Legislation & the Higg Index webinar series will continue into 2025, offering more in-depth discussions on how the Higg Index tools can support compliance with new and emerging legislation.

To stay informed about upcoming webinars and the latest updates from Cascale, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.

Publications / Policy Deep Dive: California’s New Climate Accountability Package

Policy Deep Dive: California’s New Climate Accountability Package

Legislation and Policy

Explore Cascale & Worldly’s policy deep dive into California’s Climate Accountability Package (SB 253 and SB 261). This analysis offers critical insights into the recent climate disclosure requirements and their implications for businesses, particularly in the consumer goods, apparel, and textile sectors. Cascale and Worldly aim to equip members and customers with the tools needed to navigate these regulations and strengthen their climate resilience.

Cover of Policy Deep Dive: California’s New Climate Accountability Package Explained

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Press Releases / Cascale, Worldly Publish Analysis on California’s Climate Laws

Cascale, Worldly Publish Analysis on California’s Climate Laws

Policy and Legislation

Cascale and Worldly have published an analysis of California’s new climate laws, which are set to reshape corporate environmental reporting in the United States.

Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Oakland (CA) – November 13, 2024: Cascale (formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition), the global nonprofit alliance for the consumer goods industry, and Worldly, the planet’s most comprehensive sustainability data insights platform, have published an analysis of California’s new climate laws, which are set to reshape corporate environmental reporting in the United States. The paper examines the implications of two key laws—the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253) and the Climate-Related Financial Risk Act (SB 261)—which will require businesses operating in California to disclose greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and assess climate-related financial risks.

This timely analysis provides critical insights for companies, especially in the consumer goods industry, as they navigate the increasing demands for transparency and environmental accountability. The paper offers a view into how Cascale’s Higg Index tools, exclusively available on Worldly, and the Product Impact Calculator can help businesses prepare for the regulations.

Why California’s Climate Laws Matter

California’s climate laws represent a major shift in corporate environmental responsibility, going beyond current federal standards and establishing new benchmarks for GHG emissions reporting in the United States. As California leads the way, businesses across the U.S. must prepare for these changes, which could influence future national and global reporting requirements.

“These laws are a critical step forward for addressing climate impacts, not just for the U.S. but globally,” said Elisabeth von Reitzenstein, senior director of policy and public affairs at Cascale. “California’s Climate Accountability Package arrives at a pivotal time, as businesses worldwide face growing pressure to demonstrate their climate commitments. By requiring companies to disclose GHG emissions across their entire supply chain, California is setting a new benchmark for transparency and accountability. While global harmonization remains our ultimate goal, we acknowledge national and regional specifics to ensure progress. Strengthening enforcement at the national level, while drawing on established global standards and industry initiatives, will therefore be key to driving meaningful progress on combating climate change.”

The analysis breaks down the core components of the legislation. SB 253 applies to companies with over $1 billion in revenue and mandates disclosure of Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions, while SB 261 requires companies with at least $500 million in revenue to submit biennial climate risk assessments. These laws pose challenges for businesses with complex supply chains, such as those in the apparel, footwear, textiles, and wider consumer goods industries, as businesses must now track emissions data across their entire value chain. The report also explores the legal challenges to the laws and examines how the outcome of the U.S. Presidential election may impact broader climate regulations at the federal level.

The Time to Prepare Is Now

With key deadlines for compliance quickly approaching, businesses must take proactive steps to prepare. Cascale and Worldly are committed to supporting companies in understanding and meeting new requirements through practical solutions, industry expertise, and strategic guidance. The Higg Product Tools, the Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM), and the Product Impact Calculator, exclusively available on Worldly, can help businesses prepare for the regulations as they understand where their supply chain emissions are coming from and identify opportunities for improvement.

“The California climate laws are part of the growing global pattern of holding businesses accountable for their environmental impacts,” said JR Siegel, VP of Sustainability at Worldly. “To understand their impact reduction opportunities and report Scope 3 emissions more accurately, businesses need primary data from across their entire supply chains.”

Download the Full Report Today

To support businesses in navigating these new regulations, Cascale and Worldly have made the full deep dive analysis available for download. This report details the Climate Accountability Package, including SB 253 and SB 261, and explores the impact of both laws on the apparel and footwear industry. It also offers guidance on how companies can begin preparing for these reporting requirements.

Download the Full Publication

ABOUT CASCALE

Cascale is the global nonprofit alliance empowering collaboration to drive equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry. Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cascale owns and develops the Higg Index, which is exclusively available on Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform. Cascale unites over 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics, and NGO/nonprofit affiliates around the globe through one singular vision: To catalyze impact at scale and give back more than we take to the planet and its people. LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

ABOUT WORLDLY

Worldly is the planet’s most comprehensive sustainability data insights platform, trusted by 40,000+ major brands, retailers, and manufacturers in fashion, outdoor, home goods, toys, and more. Worldly uniquely collects high-resolution primary data specific to companies’ value chains, operations, and products, providing insight into true impacts across carbon, water, chemistry, and labor. Featuring the most comprehensive source of ESG data for global manufacturers and the largest library of materials and product impacts, Worldly empowers businesses to scale responsibility into their global operations, faster and more accurately. Hosting, connecting with, and supporting the leading industry solutions and methodologies, including ZDHC, Bluesign, and the Higg Index — developed and owned by the global nonprofit alliance Cascale — Worldly delivers the insights businesses need to reduce their impact, comply with emerging regulatory and financial disclosure requirements, and meet the expectations of a new generation of customers. www.worldly.io

All events / Navigating Legislation & the Higg Index: Higg FSLM/CAF in Supporting Social Compliance

Navigating Legislation & the Higg Index: Higg FSLM/CAF in Supporting Social Compliance

On November 6, 2024, we co-hosted a webinar with SLCP and Worldly, exploring the Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (Higg FSLM) and SLCP CAF in supporting social compliance.