Today’s sustainability landscape requires responsible businesses to have great visibility into the environmental impact of their value chain. Brands reporting on 2024 performance need data from their manufacturers, and gathering this information requires a structured process and clear communication from the get-go. The Higg FEM is the most widely used assessment for environmental performance within supply chains and can help brands and retailers gather the data they need to report with confidence.

Higg FEM 4.0 

The most recent version of the industry assessment provides improved data accuracy and is better aligned with global frameworks like the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the Science Based Targets Initiative, and the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero. The assessment examines seven impact areas to give brands and retailers a clear view of their facilities’ environmental performance. The reporting deadline for the Higg FEM, set by Cascale (formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition) is April 30. In this post we cover five tips for brands that want to maximize FEM completion in the last month of the cadence. 

Tips to efficiently manage your data gathering cadence

A cadence is the period of time a brand or retailer provides its manufacturing facilities to complete a Higg Index assessment. This year, brands that are members of Cascale must provide Higg FEM results no later than April 30. So facilities must complete the assessments before then. There are several steps you can take as a brand or retailer to support your facilities and encourage them to complete Higg FEM in time:

1. Ensure your email lists include the key contacts at each facility

Reaching out to the correct people within your facilities is essential for an efficient and effective Higg FEM cadence. Make sure the email addresses on your list are correct and evaluate them regularly to filter out any that bounced or are invalid.

2. Communicate clearly and concisely

Explain which assessments your manufacturing facilities must complete and point them to the Worldly platform to get started. Regulation requires brands to report on 2024 performance and the reporting deadline is approaching rapidly, so clear about what will happen when facilities don’t complete their assessment in time. 

3. Set friendly yet urgent  deadlines

The sooner facilities know which modules to complete by when, the easier it will be for them to plan ahead and share assessments with you in time. As the end of the cadence is coming up, use friendly but firm deadlines to make sure your facilities are aware of the urgency. Also inform them that it can take up to 6 weeks to complete a self-assessment that evaluates the prior year’s impact and performance.

4. Follow up with facilities that have not completed their assessments

Prioritize outreach to facilities that have a Worldly account, but didn’t purchase a module yet. Sending them email reminders with deadlines will gradually increase Higg FEM completion.  

The Higg Adoption Tool, available exclusively on the Worldly platform, can help you manage the adoption of Higg Facility Modules (FEM & FSLM) and the Higg Brand & Retail Module (BRM) on behalf of your value chain partners. It provides visibility into module completion progress, verification status, Worldly account data, and share request statuses. Brands that used the Adoption Tool during last year’s cadence, had 2.7 times more 2022 FEM shares, on average, than brands that didn’t. Ask about the Adoption Tool.

5. Provide links to resources and support

Facilities that are new to using the Higg Index might need more guidance than others. Providing them with links to resources and support can help them get started and complete their assessments quickly. Remind facilities of the Worldly e-learning modules and training guidance in our knowledge base. Check the training calendar for upcoming relevant sessions (i.e. Q&A, FEM training, etc. – offered in multiple languages).

Worldly helps brands and retailers with their facility adoption during the Higg FEM cadence. Reach out to learn more about our services. 

Together, Worldly and Cascale, are committed to providing the consumer goods industry the solutions needed to meet the most pressing sustainability challenges today and meet the expectations of stakeholders, including consumers, regulatory bodies, investors, and executives. 

Resources: 

Read more about the Adoption Tool on HowtoHigg