SAC FEM Higg Index Verification
Developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the Higg Index is a suite of tools that enables brands, retailers, and facilities of all sizes — at every stage in their sustainability journey — to accurately measure and score a company or product’s sustainability performance.
The Higg Index delivers a holistic overview that empowers businesses to make meaningful improvements that protect the well-being of factory workers, local communities, and the environment. Higg Index is a Verification & not an Audit
Only one Higg index verification is necessary, it will be recognized by all SAC members, allowing factories to focus their efforts on the implementation of improvement actions
The Higg FEM Measures
Environmental Facility Module
Presented as a self-assessment questionnaire, this tool covers seven key areas of a business’ performance
- Environmental management system
- Energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
- Water use
- Wastewater/effluent handling
- Emissions into the air
- Waste management
- Chemicals management
BENEFITS
The Higg FEM provides greater value and insight in the following ways:
- Relieves audit-fatigue. The Higg FEM is only conducted once per calendar year.
- Offers questions according to facility needs, leading to better, actionable data, and more insight into your supply chain.
- Higg index verification is not pass fail audit. There are no corrective action plans and followup visits.
- Enables rapid learning through identification of sustainability hot spots, existing level of performance, and improvement opportunities.
- Calculates scores and allows data verification with increased accuracy. Helps to easy share with your business partners.
- Catalyzes sustainability education and provides a clear guidance.
- Drives improvements over time through benchmarking of environmental sustainability performance.
- Importantly, SAC members must accept each other’s reports
OZONE SERVICES
Ozone can do Higg Index assessment for facilities, using one of two methods:
- Desktop verification – conducted offsite by an assessor, in which the Verifier completes the Verification without visiting the Facility. The Verified Results of an Offsite Verification cannot be shared publicly.
- Onsite verification – a more robust review, offering a higher level of trust to a facility’s customers, conducted by a verifier who will visit the facility to review the assessment. The verified result of an Onsite verification can be shared publicly.
The aim of both verification methods is for a qualified verifier to verify the Higg index score of a facility and used in communications with suppliers and customers, to identify strengths and weaknesses, and to help facilities to define and implement an improvement plan.
Ozone is the leading assessment, inspection, verification and certification company.
With a presence in every single region around the globe, our assessors & experts speak the local language, understand the culture & Issues of the local market and operate globally in a consistent, reliable and cost-effective manner.
CONTACT US
For more information about the Higg Index, you can contact us at enquiry@ozonesustainability.com or contact us by phone or email. We will be pleased to assist you.