Cascale Updates Higg Index Tool To Further Align With Industry Regulatory Requirements
AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG, and OAKLAND, Calif., March 4, 2025 /3BL/ - Cascale has updated the Higg Brand and Retail Module (Higg BRM), a cornerstone of the Higg Index suite of tools, to better align with evolving sustainability regulation. The annual update demonstrates Cascale's commitment to continuous improvement by addressing the evolving challenges faced by its members and the broader consumer goods industry.
'We have updated the Higg BRM to enhance its alignment with ESRS,' said Maravillas Rodriguez Zarco, Sr. Director, Higg Index Strategy and Operations at Cascale. 'This is a powerful resource that empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions. We encourage brands and retailers to leverage the full potential of the Higg BRM as a supporting tool in their reporting journey under CSRD.'
The Higg BRM provides a comprehensive approach to tracking sustainability progress while the alignment with European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) offers support on Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requirements. It is widely recognized as one of the leading frameworks for brands and retailers in the textile, apparel, and footwear industry to track and measure Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance. The Higg BRM empowers users to build consistent strategies while avoiding duplication across multiple sustainability initiatives. It is part of Cascale's Higg Index suite of tools, which are exclusively available on Worldly, the leading sustainability data insights platform for consumer goods.
With this update, Cascale has expanded the Higg BRM guidance and refined terminology to improve consistency with ESRS disclosure requirements while adding 36 new unscored optional questions to ensure more complete disclosures without impacting comparability to prior Higg BRM assessments. The Higg BRM now covers up to 78% of ESRS data points, with the remaining content related to financial topics beyond its scope (15%), or non-material matters (7%).
In addition, Cascale has published a white paper that outlines the alignment between the Higg BRM and ESRS, helping companies understand how the tool can support CSRD reporting obligations. The white paper provides a structured breakdown of the Higg BRM to ESRS alignment, examines ESRS 1 and ESRS 2, and explains how the Higg BRM supports key concepts such as double materiality or establishing a governance framework. It also covers Topical Standards, offering key insights into ESG areas specific to textile, apparel, and footwear industry.
The Higg BRM 2024 update also introduces tags on the Worldly platform to easily map ESRS data points with Higg BRM questions. The tool remains aligned with key industry frameworks, including the Textile Exchange's Material Benchmark and the ZDHC Brands to Zero program, and continues to offer benchmarking capabilities and year-over-year tracking of short-term and long-term sustainability goals to drive impactful change. Higg BRM verification remains accessible and highly recommended for all users.
ABOUT CASCALE Cascale is the global nonprofit alliance empowering collaboration to drive equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry. Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cascale owns and develops the Higg Index, which is exclusively available on Worldly, the industry's leading sustainability data insights platform. Cascale unites over 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics, and NGO/nonprofit affiliates around the globe through one singular vision: To catalyze impact at scale and give back more than we take to the planet and its people.
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