Our SAC services

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC)

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition is the apparel, footwear and home textile industry’s alliance for sustainable production. Its centerpiece is the The Higg Index, a standardized supply chain measurement tool which allows companies to measure and understand the environmental and social impacts of their products and services.

The SAC has over 300 members, including brand & retailers, manufacturers, NGOs, and academic institutions. Leadership & Sustainability is one of its members.

SAC’s Higg Index Suite of Tools

The Higg Index covers three set of tools: the Brand Modules, the Facility Modules, and the Product Modules. The Brand Modules focus on the corporate level of brands and retailers, assessing, among other things, the environmental and social / labor performance of their design, sourcing and operations. The Facility Modules, on the other hand, measure the social and environmental performance of manufacturing facilities (either your own or that of your suppliers). Finally, the Product Modules consist of tools for designers and developers to measure a product’s environmental performance at difference stages within the product-development cycle.

Below you find an overview of how the different Higg Index Tools can be used along each step in the supply chain.

Our SAC Related Services

We at Leadership & Sustainability offer you a comprehensive portfolio of SAC-related services. Whether you are looking for strategy consulting, a way to create material & product certifications, or are simply interested in workshops & trainings – we’ve got you covered! Our SAC services are especially created for clients from the textile, home textile, apparel and footwear industry, as well as the retail sector. For our commitment, we have also been awarded the Higg Index Verification Leadership Award at the SAC Global Member Meeting in Barcelona last year.

Below you find a more detailed overview of what we can offer. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Higg FEM 3.0 Verifications

As official verifiers & trainers, one of our key SAC related service is the verification of the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM).

The FEM is part of SAC’s Facility Tools, enabling manufacturers to accurately measure and score the sustainability performance of their facility. Manufacturers using the FEM are guided through seven sections covering various environmental topics and are asked to provide both quantitative and qualitative responses. One of the great benefits of the FEM is that it standardises how facilities measure and evaluate their environmental performance. This way the FEM helps to:

measure and quantify the sustainability impacts of a facility
reduce redundancy in measuring and reporting sustainability performance
drive business value through reducing risk and uncovering efficiencies
create a common means and language to communicate sustainability to stakeholders

Once facilities have provided their responses, they can engage official SAC Higg FEM verifiers and have their self-assessment externally verified. While not mandatory, this ensures that all scores are accurate as well as comparable.

Leadership & Sustainability: A Global & Trusted Partner for Higg FEM 3.0 Verifications

Having a trustworthy partner by your side that can guide you through the process of a Higg FEM verification and provide you with effective advise on how to improve is of utmost importance.

We at Leadership & Sustainability would love to be that partner for you. Over the last 12 months, our team of general and chemical specialist verifiers have conducted more than 100 FEM verifications across the entire globe (for an overview of where we offer verification, click here). In June 2019, Karin Ekberg, our CEO, was presented with the Higg Index Verification Leadership Award at the SAC member meeting in Barcelona.

If you are considering conducting your Higg FEM verification, don’t hesitate to contact us for further information or a customized offer. We also recommend having a look at our previous and upcoming webinars you will find at the end of this page.

Below you find some more information about our Higg FEM verifier and trainer services.

Higg Index FEM Verifier

As a FEM verifier we are able to verify all your responses and evidence documents related to your FEM self-assessment.

The verification can be conducted either on-site or off-site, depending on your individual situation. If you want to communicate your score publicly, you need an on-site verification. If you need your verification only for B2B communication, you can start with an off-site verification.

Overview of the on-site verification process

Stage 1: Preparation

Before arriving on-site, we will review all your self-assessment responses as well as the documents you have uploaded as evidence.

Stage 2: Factory Visit

We review the documents and process with interviews and on-site verifications, following the manufacturing flow and reviewing the situation in the factory.

Stage 3: Finalization

We will finalize your Higg score and upload the verified results. As soon as you have reviewed the verified results and approved them, you can publish the results.

Higg Index FEM Chemical Specialist Verifier

As a FEM chemical specialist verifier we are qualified to additionally conduct Level 2 and Level 3 verifications of the chemicals management section.

This is especially interesting to you, if you have achieved Level 1 in the chemicals management section and wish to improve at Levels 2 and 3.*

At Level 2, you are in a position to improve your chemicals management program, reduce the use of hazardous chemicals beyond RSLs and MRSLs, and move towards sourcing preferred chemicals.

At Level 3, you are for example able to collaborate with brands and suppliers to select chemicals for alternatives assessment.

*Please note: For a robust chemicals management program you must fully complete all Level 1 requirements. That may take several years for some facilities. But don’t worry – we will support you during the process!

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Higg Index FEM Trainer

As an SAC Higg FEM service provider, we know that many businesses in the textile and apparel sector are striving to further improve when it comes to implementing ecological and economical sustainablity into their production processes. This is why we offer various trainings on this topic. Depending on your needs and interests, we can either give you an overview of the topic, starting with “How to use the Higg Index FEM Tool” or provide you with highly specialised trainings on how to meet the Higg FEM requirements.

Environmental Management Systems (Level 1-3)
Energy & GHG Management (Level 1-3)
Water Use Management (Level 1-3)
Wastewater Management (Level 1-3)
Waste Management (Level 1-3)
Air emissions Management (Level 1-3)
Chemicals Management (Level 1-3)

No matter if you are completely new to the topic or a sustainability leader – we support you with the whole process from start to verification or help you to improve your status quo.

Re-watch or register for our free webinars, or read our blog articles on Higg FEM topics:

Higg BRM verifications

We are as a Higg BRM verifier body and our CEO and founder Karin Ekberg is an approved Higg BRM verifier.

Businesses of all sizes can use the Higg Brand & Retail Module (Higg BRM). This verification measures 11 environmental and 16 social impacts of operations and makes meaningful improvements. The Higg BRM also supports Higg Index users in sharing sustainability information with key stakeholders, including supply chain partners.

Developed by the industry, this trusted assessment helps brands and retailers establish and maintain strong corporate social responsibility strategies and practices that promote the well-being of workers and the planet.

Connecting Value Chain Partners: By using the Higg BRM, conscientious businesses can track, measure, and share their sustainability progress with value chain partners, consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders.

Communicating to Consumers: More and more consumers are curious about where and how their clothes are made. They want to vote with their wallets and buy apparel and footwear that reflect their values. Therefore, they want to support brands and retailers that are socially and environmentally sustainable and transparent about their business practices.

We as a Higg BRM verifier body would like to help you enhance the quality and reliability of your brand with verified results! Please contact us here if you would like to get verification services from us or work on a Higg BRM related project with us. Or find our Higg BRM booking form here.

Re-watch or register for our free webinars, or read our blog articles on Higg BRM topics:

Also re-watch or register for our free webinars, or read our blog articles on general Higg Index topics:

How does the SAC’s Higg Index fit your sustainability strategy?