Zalando Commits Partners to Fashion Industry Sustainability Standard

Zalando, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and Higg Co recently announced a new collaboration to accelerate a global sustainability standard in the fashion industry. Zalando is the first retailer to use the SAC’s updated version of the Higg Brand & Retail Module (Higg BRM) to make sustainability assessment compulsory for brands selling on its platform. In order to help realize industry-wide change, the company will gather comparable sustainability data from its partner brands to understand where the challenges of the industry lie, both individually and collectively.

The Higg BRM is a tool that provides brands and retailers with a comprehensive way to assess their performance around ethical and environmental parameters such as human rights, fair wages or carbon dioxide emissions. Users can organize their sustainability priorities based on the results. All SAC brand and retail members will eventually use this tool to measure their sustainability performance and progress, making it possible for the apparel industry to compare sustainability at brand level.

SAC Executive Director Amina Razvi stated: “Zalando’s decision to require its partner brands to use the Higg BRM will serve as a catalyst for bringing the industry together towards a standard system for sustainability measurement and achieve lasting change.”