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Advanced Facility Engagement Guidelines | Primark

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As part of Primark’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, it is a requirement for their supply chain partners to complete Higg FEM 2021. This page offers guidelines on Primark’s expectations, key dates and how to complete and share your Higg FEM self-assessment.

Primark is working with Higg, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s (SAC) technology partner, to help facilities complete their assessment(s). Higg will be sending email communications throughout the reporting period to each facility. These Higg communications will provide resources and guidance on next steps to ensure facilities are getting the support they need to meet Primark’s completion requirements on time.

The Higg FEM is an industry-leading sustainability assessment tool that standardizes how facilities measure and evaluate their environmental sustainability performance. Primark is requesting that all suppliers purchase Higg Facility Environmental Subscription to access the Higg FEM 2021 self-assessment.

“In September 2021, we launched our Primark Cares strategy which sets out nine new public facing commitments that will help us to become a more sustainable and circular business. These ambitious commitments reach right across our business with the aim of reducing fashion waste, halving our carbon footprint, and improving the lives of people who make Primark clothes and products. Achieving the Primark Cares targets will shape the future of our business and the global fashion industry by changing how we source, make, and sell our products. We know that our suppliers are critical for helping us all achieve these commitments, and the Higg Index FEM will play a vitally important role in helping us measure our progress against a number of these targets. The Higg Index FEM will also help underpin the broader Primark sustainability program and importantly it will help our supply chain partners in becoming more sustainable businesses. You can learn more about our Primark Cares strategy here.”

Phil Townsend, Senior Technical Manager, Ethical Trade

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 brands and manufacturers make better environmental, social and governance decisions – across all parts of their business.

Spun out of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition in 2019, 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.

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 have not received an email from Higg yet this year 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 a 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
Once logged in, purchase the Higg Environmental Facility Subscription from the Higg subscriptions page to access the Higg FEM 2021 assessment. If you decide to verify your FEM assessment (Primark recommended) then please select the option to “add verification”.

Facility Environmental Subscription – this subscription includes access to the standard Higg FEM 2021 self-assessment; all facilities that have completed a Higg FEM before should log into their existing accounts and choose this option.

For more information about Higg’s NEW facility subscription model, please refer to the PDF here and the subscription details page on HowtoHigg.

STEP 4: (IMPORTANT) SHARE HIGG FEM WITH PRIMARK
Accept the module share request sent by PRIMARK. If you do not see a pending share request from PRIMARK in your modules page, under Modules Requested, you should click the Share Module button and initiate the module share with PRIMARK.

Sharing Details
Account Name: Primark
Higg ID: 18033

 STEP 5: COMPLETE AND POST HIGG SELF-ASSESSMENT WITH PRIMARK
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: (OPTIONAL) VERIFY HIGG SELF-ASSESSMENT
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.

Please be aware of the important deadlines listed below to ensure you meet Primark’s requirements to complete and post your FEM 2021 self-assessments. It is a mandatory requirement to share your modules with Primark via the Higg platform.

  • November 5, 2021 – Higg FEM 2021 self-assessment is accessible; Higg verification available to purchase
  • January 1, 2022 – Higg FEM verification is accessible
  • April 30, 2022– Mandatory deadline to post and share Higg FEM 2021 self-assessment with Primark.  Please note, after this date the module can no longer be unposted (once posted)
  • October 31, 2022 – Higg FEM 2021 and verification is no longer available for purchase
  • December 31, 2022 – Higg FEM 2021 reporting cycle ends; This is the last day possible to post your verified Higg FEM 2021 assessment!

The Primark team is here to help. If you have any questions, please contact environmental@primark.co.uk or your designated Primark country Environmental Manager.

Adarsh Immanuel (aimmanuel@primark.co.uk) – India & Sri Lanka
Eric Wang (ewang@primark.co.uk) – China
Hande Tezer (htezer@primark.co.uk) – Turkey & Eastern Europe
Hamza Habib Hasan (hhabibhasan@primark.co.uk) – UK, Western Europe, Africa & Americas
Spandon Kumer Roy (skumerroy@primark.co.uk) – Bangladesh & Pakistan

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.