As an independent and impact-creating organization, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition seeks to lead the industry toward a shared vision of sustainability that is based on a joint multi-stakeholder approach for measuring, improving and sharing performance.

In 2009, Walmart and Patagonia identified a lack of standardization. Joining forces, they brought together peers and competitors from across the sector, to develop a universal approach to measuring sustainability performance and to drive collective action.

Today, the SAC brings together more than 280 global brands, retailers, manufacturers, NGOs, academics and industry associations along the whole supply chain, representing about half of the apparel and footwear industry. The SAC is deeply committed to creating a more sustainable, equitable, and just world for all through collective action efforts that enable positive social and environmental impact at scale. 

In 2011 the SAC launched the Higg Index, which has been developed in collaboration with its members, aiming to create a global approach for effective and efficient apparel and footwear production. It comprises five different tools collecting and quantifying trusted data regarding textile and footwear manufacturing and supply chains, and compiling the information in one place. The Higg Index enables brands, retailers, and manufacturers from the apparel, and footwear industry to measure, improve and share their social and environmental performance via a common “sustainability language”.