Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, has announced that it has teamed with the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) to develop and implement a dynamic web-based solution for the SAC’s sustainability assessment tool, the Higg Index 2.0. Utilizing Schneider Electric’s sustainability and energy management software platform, StruxureWare™ Resource Advisor, the platform will be a groundbreaking tool for the apparel and footwear industries.
“Finding the right software solution and sustainability partner were critical in our pursuit in taking the Higg Index to the next level,” said Jason Kibbey, Executive Director of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. “Schneider Electric displayed a firm understanding of our goals and mission for the Higg Index 2.0. Along with the superior functionality of Resource Advisor, we believe this partnership will increase usability and sustainability decision-making for our members.”
The Higg Index is a self-assessment tool designed to measure the sustainability impacts of apparel and footwear products, with the goals of:
- Facilitating industry-wide adoption of the Higg Index
- Developing a logical, scalable, affordable and fair model to provide access to the tools for the entire supply chain
- Encouraging radical supply chain transparency
“The work of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition continues to transform the apparel and footwear industry as we know it, and we are honored to contribute to this important mission,” said Steve Wilhite, SVP of Supply & Sustainability at Schneider Electric. “By combining the technology foundation of Resource Advisor with the industry-leading elements of the Higg Index, the SAC and its members will advance their status as true leaders in social consciousness and supply chain transparency.”
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The SAC represents more than one-third of the global apparel and footwear industries, including Nike, adidas, Gap, H&M, Levi Strauss, Patagonia, REI anddozens more. With Schneider Electric as its development partner, the SAC now has additional resources to focus on the organizations goals to:
- Understand and quantify the sustainability impacts of apparel and footwear products
- Reduce redundancy in measuring sustainability in apparel and footwear industries
- Drive business value through reducing risk and uncovering efficiencies
- Create a common means and language to communicate sustainability to stakeholders
In keeping with its commitment to utilizing more responsible materials throughout its supply chain, SAC member Nike in March announced a partnership with bluesign technologies to broaden the supply of sustainable materials and chemistries for use in Nike products. bluesign now provides Nike’s supply chain with two innovative tools, the bluesign® bluefinder — with which suppliers can access more sustainable textile preparations such as dye systems, detergents and other process chemicals — and the bluesign® blueguide, which gives Nike access to over 30,000 materials produced using chemicals from the bluefinder at facilities that have undergone rigorous assessment. And this summer, the sportswear giant launched a new app called MAKING, to help designers and product creators make informed decisions about the environmental impacts of the materials they choose.
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Published Oct 3, 2013 7pm EDT / 4pm PDT / 12am BST / 1am CEST