Initatives
The Outdoor Industry

Setting up sustainability metrics

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Sustainability Indexes LEARN MORE Learn about the Apparel Index Learn about the Equipment Index Learn about the Footwear Index What is Indexing? When talking about sustainability, you'll hear a lot about indexing. What exactly does this mean? Indexes are tools that provide a way for companies to benchmark and measure their environmental footprint, identify areas for improvement, and make informed sourcing and product lifecycle decisions. They address sustainability at the product level and help you examine processes throughout your supply chain. Start Indexing Your Products Start indexing your products Download the Higg Index Get Involved If you would like to participate in the Index development or have any questions about this work, please email sustainability@outdoorindustry.org. The Outdoor Industry Association Sustainability Working Group is currently collaborating with the Sustainable Apparel Coalition to develop sustainability indexes for apparel, footwear and equipment. These tools will provide a way for companies to benchmark and measure their environmental and social impacts, identify areas for improvement, and make informed sourcing and product life cycle decisions. The Higg Index 2.0 Suite of Tools - Launched December 2013 Facility Tools, all products: access here Tools that are ready to be used by facilities, vendors, or manufacturers to assess specific facility sites: Facility Module – Environment: Apparel/Footwear/Equipment: used to assess environmental performance of material, packaging, and manufacturing facilities. Facility Module – Social/Labor: Apparel/Footwear/Equipment - Beta: used to assess the social and labor performance of material, packaging, and manufacturing facilities. Brand Tools, Apparel and Footwear: access here Tools that are useful to Brands: Brand Module – Environment: Apparel: assess apparel product-specific environmental practices at the brand level. Brand Module – Environment: Footwear: assess footwear product-specific environmental practices at the brand level. Brand Module – Social/Labor: Apparel/Footwear - Beta: assesses social and labor apparel and footwear product-specific social and labor practices at the Brand level. Product Tools, Apparel and Footwear: Tools that can help to understand the impacts of products: Rapid Design Module (RDM) – Beta: Prototype to test how we can guide designers on sustainable product design with directionally correct information and streamline decision support framework. rdm.apparelcoalition.org Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) Data Explorer: online platform to allow users to understand the data and methodology behind MSI Base Material Scores, which can be seen in the RDM - Beta. Also serves as a data submission platform to improve the quality of material scores or add new materials. msi.apparelcoalition.org A full Higg Index Product Module is still under development, with the goal to launch it with the next version of the Higg Index. Brand and Product Tools, Equipment: access here Index content for Equipment/Gear products has been developed by OIA members and is currently being pilot tested, with the goal of inclusion into the next version of the Higg Index. We invite you to help test this content! Please click on the link above to access the Equipment Index Pilot Program information and web tool links.