A New Partnership Between WFSGI and Worldly Is Helping Sporting Goods Companies Turn Sustainability Data Into Action

Article key points: 

• The World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) and Worldly have partnered to help sporting goods companies turn ESG ambition into measurable action
• The partnership expands access to industry-aligned tools and solutions, including Cascale’s Higg Index, to improve supply chain transparency and measurement consistency
• Members benefit from deeper primary supply chain data that supports compliance, due diligence, and risk reduction
• Worldly’s platform helps strengthen supplier engagement while reducing reporting fatigue across global supply chains
• Shared data and collaboration enable better decision-making and faster progress on environmental and social performance
• The partnership supports WFSGI’s 2026–2029 ESG strategy and long-term industry resilience

For sporting goods companies, expectations around environmental and social performance have never been higher

Brands and retailers are being asked to demonstrate credible progress on emissions, social impact, and responsible sourcing, all while navigating increasingly complex supply chains and a fast-evolving regulatory landscape. Turning impact goals into consistent, decision-ready action across thousands of facilities and suppliers worldwide is a major challenge.

That’s why the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) has partnered with Worldly, the leading sustainability and supply chain intelligence platform, to equip its members with industry-aligned ESG insights, practical solutions, and collective frameworks. These include the consumer goods industry’s standard, Cascale’s Higg Index suite of tools, developed in collaboration with Worldly, to accelerate responsible business conduct and measurable sustainability impact.

Moving from fragmented data to shared industry intelligence

One of the biggest barriers to meaningful social and environmental progress in the sporting goods industry is fragmented data. Suppliers are often asked to report the same information multiple times, using different frameworks and formats. Brands, in turn, struggle to get a complete, comparable picture of risk and performance.

The WFSGI–Worldly partnership is designed to change that dynamic

By expanding access to industry-aligned methodologies, including the Higg Index, WFSGI members can align around consistent measurement practices and shared expectations. The result is more credible reporting, stronger due diligence, and better decision-making across the global sporting goods supply chain.

This collaboration directly supports WFSGI’s Member Enablement ESG Strategic Pillar, helping members reduce risk, strengthen compliance, and improve overall sustainability outcomes.

Strengthening transparency through a connected industry network

Through the partnership, WFSGI members gain access to two clear pathways for strengthening supply chain transparency:

1.  For companies already using Worldly, the focus is on building consistency and deepening insight across existing supplier networks. 

2.  For organizations just beginning their ESG data journey, Worldly provides a foundation for credible, comparable reporting, without adding unnecessary burden on suppliers.

By connecting brands, retailers, and manufacturers through a shared platform, the partnership helps elevate data quality across the industry while reducing duplication and inefficiencies at the facility level.

Worldly is trusted by a network of more than 40,000 stakeholders across apparel, footwear, home furnishings, and sporting goods. Many WFSGI members are already Worldly customers and active contributors to this ecosystem, helping drive standardization and transparency across complex global supply chains.

The partnership builds on that by expanding access to solutions and services intended to:

• Deepen primary facility-level data
• Increase supplier engagement and consistency
• Support readiness for emerging regulatory requirements
• Enable measurable social and environmental improvements

Data from Worldly highlights both the progress, and the opportunity ahead. Today, 75 percent of sporting goods production facilities on the platform have energy and emissions improvement plans, and 66 percent are actively reducing energy use. Facilities with plans are 35 percent more likely to cut emissions, while those that set goals are 51 percent more likely to make measurable progress.

By improving access to high-quality primary data and strengthening collaboration between brands and suppliers, the partnership aims to help close remaining gaps and accelerate industry-wide progress.

Turning sustainability ambition into action

For WFSGI members, the value of the partnership is practical, not theoretical.

Supporting WFSGI’s ESG strategy for the years ahead

The partnership also reinforces WFSGI’s updated ESG strategy for 2026–2029, which prioritizes:

• Responsible conduct and impact, through aligned tools and standards
• Member enablement, with accessible resources, training, and practical support
• Advocacy and representation, strengthening WFSGI’s collective voice in global sustainability and regulatory discussions

With better access to high-integrity sustainability data, WFSGI members are better positioned to anticipate risk, respond to regulatory change, and deliver measurable improvements across their operations and supply chains.

Building a more resilient sporting goods industry together

As sustainability expectations continue to rise, no single company can solve these challenges alone. The WFSGI–Worldly partnership reflects a broader shift toward collective action, standardized frameworks, and unified data. The truth is, shared data, aligned tools, and industry collaboration enable faster, more credible progress for everyone. 

For sporting goods companies, it’s a step toward turning ESG from a reporting exercise into a driver of resilience, performance, and long-term impact. Read more about the WFSGI-Worldly partnership here, and contact Worldly today to see how supply chain intelligence can benefit your organization.