As part of our supply chain commitment to environmental protection, Amazon is collecting environmental performance data to understand the impacts of our supply chain, identify opportunities to mitigate environmental harm, and meet our ambitious global climate goals.

This year, Amazon is partnering with Higg to collect supplier environmental data through the Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM). We kindly request your company purchase a 2022 Higg FEM subscription by January 15th and complete the Higg FEM by April 30th. We highly encourage all suppliers who complete a FEM to undergo verification by a SAC-approved verification body by July 30th, 2023. The FEM data you share with us will not impact your business relationship with Amazon or your SR audit results. 

Amazon’s Deadlines (2022-2023)

Amazon is requesting that all their facilities purchase the Facility Environmental Subscription by Jan 15, 2023.  

You must complete the purchase process on the Higg platform to access the Higg FEM 2022 self-assessment.

Amazon encourages you to take advantage of the current Higg early bird promotions. 

• $50 off Facility Environmental 2022:
  • Discount code: FEM2022
• $100 off Facility Plus 2022:
  • Discount code: PLUS2022

Jan 15, 2023 – Purchase 2022 FEM subscription

April 30, 2023 – Higg FEM self-assessment must be posted and shared with Amazon

July 31, 2023 – Highly encourage to undergo verification and post verified Higg FEM assessments

Higg.org

• November 3, 2022 – Higg FEM 2022 self-assessment is accessible; Higg verification available to purchase
• January 1, 2023 – Higg FEM verification is accessible
• April 30, 2023 – Higg FEM 2022 self-assessment can no longer be unposted (once posted)
• October 31, 2023 – Higg FEM 2022 and verification is no longer available for purchase
• December 31, 2023 – Higg FEM 2022 reporting cycle ends; Last day to post both self and verified Higg FEM 2022

STEP 1: (IMPORTANT) Make sure to add info@higg.com to your company email’s safe email sender list, otherwise you risk not receiving the ongoing communications due to email firewalls. If you do not receive an email from Higg by Nov. 30th, 2022 please check your spam folder.

STEP 2: LOGIN OR CREATE A HIGG ACCOUNT
Facilities that already have active Higg accounts can log into Higg.org. If you do not have a Higg login and need to create new Higg account, start here to learn how to create a new user login and create a company account on Higg.org.

STEP 3: PURCHASE HIGG FACILITY SUBSCRIPTION BY JAN 15, 2023
Once logged in, purchase the Facility Environmental Subscription from the Higg subscriptions page to access the Higg Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM). Facilities that have never completed a FEM before may purchase a “Higg Facility Starter Pack” and complete the “FEM Facility Foundations”.

STEP 4: (IMPORTANT) SHARE HIGG FEM WITH Amazon
Accept the module share request sent by Amazon.
Sharing Details
Account Name: AMAZON
Higg ID: 131418

If you do not see a pending share request from Amazon in your modules page, under Modules Requested, you should click the Share Module button and initiate the module share with Amazon.

STEP 5: COMPLETE AND POST HIGG SELF-ASSESSMENT(S) WITH Amazon BY APRIL 30, 2023
Complete 100% of the applicable questions and post the module. Facilities that have completed the Higg FEM in previous years can use the roll forward feature to easily copy data to the new self-assessment.

STEP 6: (RECOMMENDED) VERIFY HIGG SELF-ASSESSMENT BY JULY 31, 2023
Verification of the self-assessment ensures that facilities have accurately completed all parts of the Higg Facility module – giving the self-assessment data the credibility and accuracy required to share publicly.

Higg’s training website, HowtoHigg.org, contains all of the information and guidance facilities need to help them at every stage of the module completion process. You will find an overview of the module, how to prepare, step by step instructions for how to complete and guidance on understanding results and the verification process.

• Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM)
• Higg Facility Social and Labor Module (FSLM)
• Training Events
  • Check out the Higg Events Resources page to view past webinar recordings and register to  attend upcoming training and office hour sessions through our Higg Training Events Calendar.
• Customer Support
• Submit questions about Higg accounts, modules, and subscriptions to the Higg Support Team.

Who is Higg?

Higg is the sustainability insights platform, helping consumer goods businesses take responsibility for their entire impact – from materials to products, from factories to stores, across energy, waste, water, and working conditions. By making both data collection and performance analysis easier, we help Amazons and manufacturers make better environmental, social and governance decisions – across all parts of their business.

Higg is the exclusive licensee of the Higg Index, a suite of tools for the standardized measurement of supply chain sustainability.

What is the Higg Index?

The Higg Index is a suite of tools developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), for the standardized measurement of supply chain sustainability, used by the footwear, apparel, textile, and other industries. Together, these tools are used to assess the environmental and social performance of both value chains and products. Each tool focuses on measuring a different parameter.

1. Which FEM subscription should I purchase, and how much is it? 
The subscription can be purchased directly from Higg.org, by either logging into an existing account or creating a new account. Facilities that have never completed a FEM before may purchase a “Higg Facility Starter Pack” and complete the “FEM Facility Foundations”, an introductory assessment to start you on your journey to measure and evaluate environmental impacts ($299). Suppliers who have already completed a FEM in the past should purchase and complete a “Facility Environmental Subscription” ($429). We recommend that all facilities purchase a and undergo a verification.  Suppliers who purchase their subscription prior to December 31, 2022 can use discount code FEM2022 to receive a $50 discount.

2. What are the benefits for me to complete the Higg FEM? 
Measurement is critical as we have to measure and understand emissions and impacts in order to eliminate them. The Higg FEM will help your company measure your environmental impacts, which you can use to reduce resource use and improve practices over time. The Higg FEM also standardizes how factories and brands evaluate supplier environmental performance, meaning you only have to complete one annual FEM that you can share widely with all of your buyers. The FEM is widely required in the global apparel and textile industry and many companies seek out suppliers who evaluate their practices using FEM.

3. Who can I contact for support?
Amazon pays for advanced Higg customer service for its suppliers. This means that Amazon’s suppliers will receive an expedited response from the Higg Support Team when a support request is submitted on Higg.org. Please use this link to submit questions directly to the Higg Support. Users will receive a response from the team within 24 business hours. For non-technical questions or to provide feedback to Amazon, please contact Amazon’s Social Responsibility team at sr-support@amazon.com.

4. What is a verification, and how do I get one?
Verification of the FEM self-assessment is conducted by a third- or second-party SAC approved verifier. The verifier is selected and hired to review a facility site. The verifier is the only person responsible for validating the accuracy of the assessment. The Higg FEM verification is not a pass/fail audit. It is process to verify you understood and answered the FEM self-assessment correctly. Verified data and scores provide trusted information on facility environmental performance, reducing the need for multiple proprietary audits. 

There are two types of verification: 1) Onsite Verification where a Verifier is required to visit the facility premises; and 2) Offsite Verification where a Verifier conducts the verification without going to the factory premises, usually by other means such as e-mail, pictures, web-conference, etc. For the 2022 FEM, both verification options are sufficient for Amazon.

For more information on the Verification process, see https://howtohigg.org/higg-fem-verification-program/ .