Find all supporting documentation, guides and additional downloadable resources for all of our tools.
Facility Tools
FEM 2023 How to Higg Guide – Please note that this guidance applies only to Higg FEM 2023/4.0, and no assessments from previous years. The Higg FEM 4.0/2023 will be available to purchase Fall 2023. Please direct your questions to our support team.FEM 2022 How to Higg Guide – FEM Content Guidance contains detailed guidance for each question of the Higg FEM2022. For each question, you will be able to understand the intent of the question, related technical guidance and how this question will be verified.
FEM 2020 How to Higg Guide – FEM Content Guidance contains detailed guidance for each question of the Higg FEM2020. For each question, you will be able to understand the intent of the question, related technical guidance and how this question will be verified.
Higg FEM Reference Guide (PDF) – This is a reference guide for navigating Higg FEM data. It provides a technical, slightly narrative description of the Higg FEM data as well as reference documentation for all FEM questions (including tooltips, conditionalities, answer options, and points).
All FEM Excel Reference Index (Excel) – This is a reference index with RefID’s and additional information on scoring, applicabilities, and more for all FEMs from 2017 through 2020.
FEM Performance Data CSV – The FEM Performance Data (CSV) features the key facility environmental performance data that Higg customers often want to feature in their internal reports and sustainability analyses.
FSLM CAF1.4 Excel Reference Index (PDF) – This is a reference index with RefID’s and additional information on scoring, applicabilities, and more for FSLM CAF1.4.
FEM Glossary – Learn key terms and phrases used in the FEM. Click here.
FEM Templates –
FSLM Support – All content support and information on the FSLM are available on the SLCP Helpdesk. Click here.
FEM Scoring Table and Applicability – This document dives deeper in FEM scoring, including the scoring table and additional information on applicability.
- We conduct technical audits to ensure data and calculations are consistent across our platform. During our most recent audit, we uncovered a few inconsistencies across FEM assessments for 2017-2019. For example, we fixed several greenhouse gas data calculations, such as rounding errors and bug fixes. As always, our policy is to alert users as soon as we make these improvements.
- Higg is committed to providing up to date, quality data. By resolving this technical issue, we’re ensuring our users have accurate and consistent information across reporting years, including for historical reporting.
- Liquid Natural Gas: In 2017, users had five options to select from when reporting natural gas, including liquid natural gas. In 2020, we removed liquid natural gas, and then added it back in 2021.
- Simplified Energy Sources: Over the years, questions on energy sources have been simplified. We’ve made sure these data sources are aligned and consistent over the years:
- Biomass: 20+ sources now reduced to 3
- Coal: 7 sources now reduced to 1
- Fuel oils: 6 sources now reduced to 1
- Biomass: Corrected heating values and emissions factors for biomass sources that had been consolidated in 2020 and 2021
- Conversion factor: Corrected an error that occurred when converting joules to MJ
- We’ve ensured our CO2e emission factors are consistent across all years and GHG sources based on EPA emission factors
- Note that 2020/2021 data is not changing. For the majority of brands, retailers, and manufacturers, your data will not change significantly.
- At the time of calculating your greenhouse gas emissions, your company made the most informed decisions possible.
- The changes to your historical greenhouse gas data will be reflected in your 2017-2019 Higg FEM data, which is located in the following places –
- FEM Modules
- FEM Dashboard
- GHG totals occurring from
- In your Performance Data CSV file
- Bulk CSV download
- In each FEM Assessment downloadable CSV
- Higg Analytics charts (if you are an Expanded or Advanced user)
- Sources of GHG Emissions
- Sources of Energy
If you’d like to address this data reporting change in your future corporate reports, we’d suggest the following language.
To help calculate our environmental impact, we use the Higg Facility Environmental Module, or Higg FEM. Recently, Higg made a few adjustments to make historic carbon emissions calculations more accurate. As a result, our previous data has shifted.
- As a technology company, we are committed to continually auditing and improving our data. We are also dedicated to transparently communicating issues and resolutions with our customers. You can expect us to let you know when problems arise, and how we’ve resolved them.
Brand Tools
Question by Question Guidance – The BRM How to Higg Guide or also referred to as Question by Question guidance goes question by question through the assessment and provides detailed support to answer each question: from the intent of the question and how to look at answer options, to how the question will be verified, and more.
BRM Glossary – Look up definitions of key terms, abbreviations and phrases used in the BRM.
Product Tools
Higg MSI Methodology Document – This document describes the assessment and scoring methodology used for the Higg MSI. This includes how the data is organized, requirements for the data, why different impact methods were chosen, and how the MSI points are normalized.
Higg PM Methodology Document – This document describes the assessment and scoring methodology used for the Higg PM.
MSI Glossary – Learn key terms in the MSI. Click here.
Communication Guidelines
The Higg Index Communications Guidelines outline how Higg Index users may communicate Higg Index performance. The guidelines currently feature how to communicate performance for the Higg Facility Environment Module (Higg FEM), Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI), and Higg Product Module (Higg PM).