HIGG Audit, the full name of which is "Garment Factory Environmental Assessment Standard Audit", or HIGG FEM in English, is an environmental sustainability standard assessment tool for the apparel and textile industry. This standard is being driven by large U.S. retailers and brands to evaluate the environmental sustainability performance of apparel and textile factories.
The primary goal of the HIGG audit is to help factories improve their environmental sustainability performance to meet the needs of their customers while reducing their environmental impact. Through a HIGG audit, factories can reap significant business benefits, including improved brand reputation, increased production efficiency, reduced energy consumption and reduced waste emissions. In addition, the HIGG audit helps the factory to establish a long-term sustainable development strategy, improve the corporate image and employee satisfaction.
The HIGG factory audit consists of two parts: the HIGG index and the HIGG factory environment module. The Higg Index is a ** tool used to assess a facility's overall environmental sustainability performance. It includes 10 core indicators covering resource use, energy consumption, waste discharge, chemical use and water use. The HIGG Facility Environment Module is a site assessment tool to assess a facility's performance in terms of the site environment. It includes 7 standards covering wastewater treatment, exhaust emissions, noise pollution, waste management, resource efficiency, and energy efficiency.
The evaluation process for a HIGG audit consists of three phases: Preparation, Assessment, and Improvement. During the preparation phase, the facility needs to collect and collate relevant environmental and sustainability data and prepare it for on-site assessment. During the assessment phase, HIGG professionals will conduct an on-site assessment of the facility and score the facility's environmental sustainability performance. During the improvement phase, the facility will develop an improvement plan based on the assessment results and take the necessary steps to improve its environmental sustainability performance.
In summary, HIGG is an environmental sustainability standard assessment tool for the apparel and textile industry, designed to help factories improve their environmental sustainability performance to meet customer needs while reducing their environmental impact. With HIGG audits, factories can reap the benefits of business and long-term sustainable development strategies.