Fast-fashion retailer H&M has introduced the first version of the Higg Index Sustainability Profile throughout its European and American online stores, giving performance rankings on the environmental effect of materials used in creating its products.

The brand is one of the first to use the new Higg Index Sustainability Profile, which was developed by Higg and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC).

Each H&M product is assigned a score ranging from baseline to three based on the environmental effect of the materials used. Those created using conventional materials receive baseline scores, whereas products created using materials with fewer environmental consequences receive ratings of one, two, and three. Customers will also be able to see facts on each product's environmental implications, such as fossil fuels, water use, global warming, and water pollution.

H&M's head of sustainability, Pascal Brun, said they are happy to unveil a first edition of the Higg Index Sustainability Profile with material environmental performance cores now accessible on selected items in all 31 European online markets and the United States. This is a significant achievement for them, and it has been a decade in the making.

He adds they think that transparency is critical to revolutionizing the fashion industry, and they are pleased to see this tool evolve further so that, in the near future, they can share even more environmental and social data with their consumers across their products.

Throughout 2021 and 2022, H&M will boost its usage of the Higg Index Sustainability Profile.