“The Higg Product Tools empowered us to craft a sustainable strategy that aligns with our Planet 2030 commitments. With a solid understanding of the environmental footprint of materials and products across their life cycles, we are now equipped with data-driven insights to make informed decisions and realize our vision for a sustainable future. By leveraging these innovative tools, we’re not just running towards sustainability – we’re redefining the race.”
— David Kemp, Director of Corporate Responsibility, Brooks Running
Brooks Running harnessed the power of the Higg Product Tools, including the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) and Higg Product Module (PM), to gain insights into its environmental impact and build strategies to achieve its climate and environmental commitments. The company used the tools to meticulously assess the impacts of both the raw materials (Tier 4) and processing stages (Tier 2 and 3) that contribute to its product ecosystem.
The Higg Index tools are fueled by collaboration. Brooks Running’s dedicated corporate responsibility team worked closely with suppliers to collect material-specific information – from composition and raw material type to dyeing and finishing methods. In instances where suppliers did not provide enough information, the team utilized the Higg MSI’s default values to ensure comprehensive coverage. Through this work, they were able to assess their environmental impact and identify which materials aligned best with their Planet 2030 commitments. The resulting reporting provided Brooks Running with a more accurate emissions factor for each material’s global warming potential, which was used to improve the accuracy of the company’s corporate Scope 3 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol emissions reporting.
In addition to their use of the Higg MSI, Brooks Running continued to scale its adoption of the Higg PM – entering footwear and apparel materials into the Higg MSI in order to evaluate the environmental impact of footwear and apparel styles through the Higg PM.