H&M reveals Higg module scores for the first time

H&M has made its Higg Index scores for the Higg Brand and Retail Module (BRM) public for the first time, claiming that it allows it to assess and communicate its yearly social and environmental performance at the corporate level.

H&M gave environmental and social ratings to its management systems, brand, retailer, shops, operations, and logistics, all of which were independently third-party verified by Bureau Veritas. The module assigns a total “environment score” of 100 percent and a total “social score” of 100 percent.

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), a global, multi-stakeholder non-profit coalition for the consumer products sector, created the Higg Index. Over 250 prominent companies, retailers, suppliers, service providers, trade groups, charities, NGOs, and academic institutions make up this organization. This alliance’s goal is to minimize global environmental impact while also promoting social justice across the global value chain. H&M is a founding member of SAC and has attained Leader+ status for the SAC Membership Requirements for 2021.

Transparency, according to H&M, is essential for promoting long-term change in the industry since it generates responsibility as well as comparability across companies, resulting in good transformation.

The Higg BRM provides a complete framework for assessing and communicating a company’s yearly social and environmental performance. This tool can be used to analyze and identify sustainability risks and implications in a comprehensive manner, while also allowing users to identify opportunities for improvement. The results H&M obtained this year serve as a benchmark for future efforts, and the company has set a target to enhance total scores by 2% next year.

Pascal Brun, Sustainability Manager H&M, said that first and foremost, she wants to express her pride in the BRM’s good outcomes. They’re committed to long-term sustainability and they are pleased to see that this is reflected in the scores. The BRM not only gives an overview of its collective sustainability efforts but also points out areas where they may improve. It has reaffirmed for H&M that the priorities outlined in their present strategy to enhance areas of their logistics operations are the appropriate ones. They’re highly aware and working on improving.

Anna Palmquist, H&M Group Expansion’s Sustainability Specialist, is in charge of the store’s sustainability performance. The Higg BRM has been a significant tool for Anna’s team in 2021, aligning them with the industry and providing precise statistics to determine where improvements could be made, according to Anna.

Anna Palmqvist, said that they improved their score in this part by implementing a defined strategy for their retailers’ environmental performance. The introduction of LED lighting, for example, has resulted in increased energy efficiency. The Higg BRM is an evaluation of how they are performing in many aspects of their operations and acts as a compass for where they should spend the bulk of their efforts.

H&M was evaluated under the BRM in five sections: management systems, brand, retailer, stores, operations, and logistics. There is an Environment Score and a Social Score for each section. A total Environment Score of 100 percent and a total Social Score of 100 percent are also provided by the module.