A group of outdoor companies, including REI, The North Face and W.L. Gore, have affirmed a commitment to use the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Higg Index to improve environmental and social responsibility throughout their supply chains.
The Higg Index is a suite of self-assessment tools empowering brands to measure their environmental, social and labor impacts, thereby identifying areas in need of sustainability improvement.
Thirty-five companies signed a public commitment statement expressing their support of the Higg Index adoption effort within the outdoor industry, acknowledging the tool as the emerging industry standard and pledging to use the Index as the primary means to measure and communicate supply chain performance.
The companies currently include Allied Feather & Down, Berghaus, Brooks Sports, Burlington, Industries, LLC, Burton Snowboards, Cascade Designs, Columbia Sportswear, Cone Denim, LLC, Eagle Creek, Farm to Feet, JanSport, Kathmandu, Keen, MEC, Mountain Hardwear, Mountain Khakis, MSR, Nester Hosiery, Orvis, Packtowl, Pearl Izumi, Platypus, Point6, Prana, REI, Safety Components Fabric Technologies, Inc., Salomon, SealLine, Smartwool, Sustainable Down Source (a division of Down Decor), The North Face, Therm-a-Rest, Timberland, Toad & Co, and W. L. Gore.
“Nearly ten years ago, a handful of outdoor industry companies came together with a shared vision to address the impacts of manufacturing products. This group would become known as the Sustainability Working Group, and their first work product, the Eco Index, has evolved into what we now know as the Higg Index,” said Beth Jensen, OIA director of sustainable business innovation. “The outdoor industry is committed to broadly implementing this tool throughout our supply chains, and we applaud these 35 companies for their public commitment and leadership in embedding sustainable business practices within our industry.”
