Environment

HIGG INDEX SCORE

The Higg Index is a suite of standardized tools developed by the Cascale for assessing the environmental and societal impact of entire value chains in the apparel and footwear industries.

Higg FEM

The Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) is a self-assessment tool for the environmental aspects of manufacturing facilities in apparel and footwear supply chains. It consists of seven assessment items: Environmental Management Systems, Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Water Use, Wastewater, Emissions to Air, Waste Management, and Chemical Management. Only facilities that have received certification by a Cascale-certified third party are allowed to publicly disclose their scores.

Higg FEM Performance

Completion Certificate

Accomplishments

We are implementing the Higg FEM in our main manufacturing plants in Japan and overseas, with more plants continuing to be added. We are working to meet our own wastewater management standards and chemical substance management standards (YKK RSL), which are based on ZDHC MRSL, OEKO-TEX and AFIRM. To bolster this effort, we are carrying out training programs for our operating companies and working to improve our Higg FEM performance.

Future Targets

To ensure transparency of Higg FEM assessments, we will further pursue Verification (vFEM) via third-party certification. As we comply with the regulatory frameworks in each country/region, we will work to improve our score globally and publicly disclose performance improvements at our various manufacturing locations.

Higg FSLM

The Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (Higg FSLM) is an industry standard tool for promoting safe and fair social and labor conditions for all workers engaged in apparel and footwear supply chains. Assessment items include Recruitment and Hiring, Working Hours, Wages and Benefits, Worker Treatment, Worker Involvement, Health and Safety, Termination, Management Systems, and Above and beyond.

Higg FSLM Performance

Verified Scores

2024
  Portugal Turkey India, Haryana
(Factory 1)
India, Haryana
(Factory 2)
Bangladesh Pakistan Sri Lanka South Korea Taiwan, Chung Li
(2nd Factory)
Taiwan, Chung Li
(3rd Factory)
Vietnam,
Nhon Trach
Indonesia Dalian Shanghai
(Lingang)
Shanghai
(Minhang)
Wuxi Shenzhen
(Fuyong)
Shenzhen
(Gongming)
Step
Scores
Step 1:
Essentials
99.1 94.9 95.6 93.9 95.0 97.8 97.6 99.2 98.5 97.2 93.6 93.2 94.5 95.3 95.7 95.6 95.3
Step 2:
Progressive
87.8 74.4 81.4 82.2 75.4 77.2 84.5 90.2 91.3 86.5 82.9 88.2 87.9 88.9 88.2 89.3 87.8
Step 3:
Advanced
*0.0 36.9 43.8 44.0 *0.0 38.8 35.2 *0.0 *0.0 59.3 38.4 76.9 63.9 55.5 *0.0 66.2 64.1
Section
Scores
Recruitment
& Hiring
100 94.6 94.8 100 99.3 100 99.2 99.4 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Working
Hours
97.6 93.2 94.0 91.8 100 100 97.6 98.5 96.1 97.6 100 100 99.0 98.4 91.5 94.4 94.3
Wages
& Benefits
94.6 91.8 90.7 89.0 94.1 92.4 89.3 93.1 92.9 96.1 89.3 90.1 90.7 94.9 94.3 93.2 93.5
Employee
Treatment
100 95.0 100 99.5 99.0 99.5 100 100 99.5 94.2 94.7 99.5 94.9 100 99.0 100 100
Employee
Involvement
99.2 92.3 91.9 82.7 63.5 91.1 91.9 100 98.0 93.1 95.3 83.3 81.9 81.9 86.0 83.7 84.4
Health
& Safety
96.9 94.0 92.5 91.9 95.2 92.8 96.6 96.6 97.9 97.1 87.5 92.0 95.4 96.5 96.7 95.8 93.5
Termination
and Retrenchment
100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 98.4
Management
Systems
79.9 42.1 62.8 65.5 53.2 57.1 67.5 85.2 85.2 74.9 68.8 83.1 83.9 81.7 79.4 83.4 83.1
Above
and beyond
*0.0 6.3 2.0 10.4 *0.0 16.3 10.4 *0.0 *0.0 21.8 12.0 59.3 12.0 4.2 *0.0 36.2 26.4
  • *These plants did not complete third-party verification related to Step2 and Step3.

Completion Certificate

Accomplishments

As with the Higg FEM, we are currently adding more plants for implementation of this module, focusing especially on our main manufacturing plants overseas. YKK Global Criteria of Compliance (YGCC) audits are based on the YKK Philosophy "Cycle of Goodness" and ISO 26000 standards. We are implementing them across the YKK Group at manufacturing locations, and proceeding to build safe and secure workplace environments and provide working environments in accordance with regulatory frameworks in each country/region and industry norms.

Future Targets

We will improve working environments across the entire supply chain by working to meet the "Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights "in customers’ and business partners’ supply chains. We will promote public disclosure of our Higg FSLM performance for each manufacturing location in Japan and overseas while maintaining transparency through regular audits by third-party organizations.