The challenges facing the apparel industry require collective action on a global scale.
Our Origins
2009
Walmart and Patagonia write a joint letter inviting CEOs of leading global companies to come together to develop an index that would measure the environmental impact of their products.
Competitors from the apparel industry come together to begin collaborative work on the Higg Index. The SAC is formed.
2011
The SAC releases the first version of the Higg Index.
2012
Nike donates the Nike Considered Index to the SAC. It becomes the Higg Materials Sustainability Index, now one of the tools in the Higg Index suite.
2016
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition continues to grow, representing apparel, footwear, and textile industry members with combined annual apparel and footwear revenues exceeding $500 billion.
2017
More than 10,000 customers around the world use the Higg Index.
2020
Looking Ahead:
The SAC works towards Higg Index transparency.
An Unlikely Origin
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition was born from a dynamic and unconventional meeting of the minds.
In 2009, Walmart, America’s biggest retailer, and Patagonia, one of the world’s most progressive brands, came together with a radical mission: Collect peers and competitors from across the apparel, footwear, and textile sector and, together, develop a universal approach to measuring sustainability performance.
The SAC’s Guiding Principles
Build on the best of existing work
Instead of starting with a blank page, the new coalition began by adapting an “Eco-Index” that had been developed over several years by the Outdoor Industry Association, whose members include Patagonia, REI, and Timberland. Similarly, they relied on data from Nike, which proved invaluable.
Don’t let perfect get in the way of good enough
The group decided to make progress through rapid prototyping: push forward, test ideas, revamp them, test them again, but don’t lose momentum.
Discuss, then decide.
Don’t await agreement on every detail:
If principled or paramount objectives arise, these issues are addressed. Otherwise, the Coalition moves forward.
Become a member of the SAC
We are building the future of the apparel, footwear, and textile industry, and we welcome you to join us.