#Sustainability

2020-11-05

SAC will retire Higg MSI aggregated single score

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the leading association representing the apparel, footwear, and textile industry in sustainability, today announced plans to accelerate the retirement of the aggregated single score from the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) by January 4, 2021.

Evolution of Higg MSI will deepen and expand focus on product-level impacts in 2021

The Higg MSI was the first product developed in the Higg Index platform, which now includes five distinct tools that collectively work to accurately track, measure, and score a company or product’s sustainability performance. The Higg MSI is a cradle-to-gate tool that assesses five environmental impacts of materials production: global warming potential, nutrient pollution in water, water scarcity, fossil fuel depletion, and chemistry. The purpose of the Higg MSI is to support apparel, footwear, and home textile designers and developers in making more sustainable material choices, leveraging independently-verified data and insights and providing insights across the range of environmental impacts associated with materials production. All background life cycle impact assessment data in the Higg MSI comes from ISO-compliant studies and commercial databases, primarily the GaBi database by Sphera. The Higg MSI is updated twice a year to reflect the best available peer-reviewed science, the most recent update was released in August 2020.

This evolution of the Higg MSI will enable SAC members and Higg Index users to expand and deepen their focus to the product level where a greater impact can be achieved and is integral to the organization’s focus on accelerated decarbonization efforts across the apparel industry value chain. The change paves the way for the second edition of the Higg Product Module (Higg PM), launching in spring of 2021, which will also include consideration of use and end-of-life.

“The SAC is driven by a commitment to collaboration and transparency, and we value stakeholder feedback to help ensure that our tools continuously evolve to meet the rapidly changing needs of our industry and reflect the most accurate peer-reviewed science. Our decision to move up the planned retirement of the MSI single score reflects not only our intended evolution of our focus from materials to the product level, but also to address some of the concerns among materials stakeholders,” said Amina Razvi, Executive Director of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.

Retiring the Higg MSI aggregated single score will provide MSI users with access to the five individual impact area scores and enable companies to use those scores in ways that reflect their own priorities and material issues for their businesses. The retirement of the single score was initially planned to coincide with the upcoming launch of the second edition of the Higg Product Module (PM), and was accelerated as a result of ongoing engagement with other industry associations.

Michele Wallace, Director, Product Integrity at Cotton Incorporated said, “Eliminating the single aggregated score in the Higg MSI is a positive step. Sustainability measurement tools need to balance ease with accuracy. Although single scores are easy to grasp, they do not address the inherent complexities of impact assessment. With this change to Higg MSI and the release of the Product Module with the full lifecycle, the Higg product tools will move closer to conformity with ISO standards.”

Call to Action for the Industry

The SAC invites Higg MSI users and materials experts to contribute material data to the tool’s growing library of materials. Once data is submitted, it is reviewed, verified, and scored by third-party experts. By continuing to increase the data contributed and shared, companies can leverage it to drive transformational change across their company and within the industry.

Since the launch of the MSI, the SAC has routinely invited and facilitated the submission of new peer-reviewed materials data. To strengthen engagement with leading industry associations and help ensure the highest quality and representativeness of the Higg MSI, the SAC will be stepping up its efforts to solicit new and updated LCA data as part of its regular review process. Specifically, the SAC is working to establish member working groups to create aligned models for specific material categories, enhance the submission process for Higg MSI contributors by translating methodology documentation and guidance, and offer more frequent training workshops. We will be sharing additional details about these workshops in the coming weeks.

To learn more about how to submit data, please click here:

https://msicontributor.higg.org/page/msi-contributor-home

Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 signed by Governor

Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) is proud to announce that Senate Bill 707 (SB 707), the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, has been signed into law by the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom. This groundbreaking legislation establishes the country’s first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) textile recycling program, marking a significant step forward in the state’s efforts to combat waste and promote sustainability.

Modtissimo promotes sustainability with 28 coordinates in the Green Circle

Modtissimo is proving more and more to be a textile and clothing show that delivers the latest innovations in the area of sustainability, with the iTechStyle Green Circle being the main showcase for companies' creations. In this 60+4 edition, taking place on 12 and 13 September, 28 coordinates will be exhibited in a section organised by CITEVE and curated by Paulo Gomes.

The EU and Egypt team up to mobilise private sector investments at Investment Conference and sign a Memorandum of Understanding underpinning €1 billion in macro-financial assistance for Egypt

At the EU-Egypt Investment Conference, co-organised by the EU and the Government of Egypt on 29-30 June, the EU and Egypt are teaming up to intensify private sector investments in Egypt. They are also signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the disbursement to Egypt of up to €1 billion in Macro-Financial Assistance.

Pioneering open-source framework shows how early innovation drives a just and net-zero fashion future

The non-profit H&M Foundation, in collaboration with Accenture, has unveiled From Signals to Systems Change, an insight report calling on the fashion industry to rethink its role in transformation. At its core is the Reimagined System Map, a pioneering open-source framework that visualises how early-stage innovation could drive a just and net-zero textile future.

Lenzing confirmed as global leader in Canopy sustainability ranking

Lenzing AG has once again taken first place in this year's Hot Button Report published by the Canadian non-profit organization Canopy. With 34.5 out of 40 points and no known risk of sourcing from ancient and endangered forests, Lenzing remains one of the most sustainable companies in regenerated cellulose fiber production – setting a benchmark for responsible business practices in the textile and nonwovens industries.

Nike unites innovation, design and product teams to accelerate athlete-centered innovation

Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse are joining forces under a new, athlete-focused creation structure aimed at accelerating innovation and driving growth across NIKE, Inc. The new setup unites the Innovation, Design and Product teams from all three brands into a single “creation engine” that will enable greater sharing of insights, technology and manufacturing methods throughout the innovation process. This integration is part of Nike’s new Sport Offense strategy and is designed to enhance the creation of products that help athletes perform at their best.

DORNIER celebrates its anniversary at ITMA Asia + CITME

To mark its 75th anniversary, machine and plant manufacturer Lindauer DORNIER will be presenting the latest developments in its rapier and air-jet weaving machines at ITMA Asia + CITME in Singapore (Hall 2, Stand B401) from 28 to 31 October 2025. The focus will be on energy-efficient weaving technologies, new IoT solutions for networked textile production and systems for the series production of modern fibre composite components.

BCI warns against ‘dangerous dilution’ of EU corporate directives

The approval of the European Commission’s Omnibus I proposal by the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs, accepting controversial changes to key sustainability directives is of great concern. These changes, namely to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), threaten to significantly dilute business reporting and due diligence obligations.