2021-11-11-埃森哲-The_Impact_Index_for_fashion_16页_3mb

Impact Index for Fashion: Summary

The Impact Index is a proposed standardized framework for product certification and labeling in the fashion industry to address sustainability challenges. It aims to meet growing consumer demand for transparency by standardizing how product-level sustainability information is verified and communicated.

Challenges

• Defining and Communicating Product-Level Sustainability: Consumers struggle with a crowded landscape of vague claims due to the complexity and lack of harmonization in sustainability definitions and messaging.
• Understanding Certification Landscape: Third-party certifications are varied and complex, making it difficult for brands to validate multiple aspects of a product's sustainability and for consumers to trust claims.
• Data Collection and Assurance Across Value Chain: Current data gathering is often manual, inconsistent, and opaque, hindering scalability and traceability in complex supply chains.

Solution: The Impact Index Framework

• Core Categories: Six initial categories are proposed, based on consumer research and industry input, to qualify product-level sustainability claims: Raw Materials, Animal Welfare, Chemical Usage, Education & Empowerment. These align with consumer priorities and existing certification standards (e.g., Organic Content Standard, Responsible Wool Standard, RE Responsible Down Standard).
• Supplementary Content: Includes brand efforts (e.g., sustainability targets, charitable giving) and end-of-use instructions (e.g., tips for extending garment life, take-back programs) to support circularity and transparency.
• Iconography and Usability: Collaborated with Vogue to design approachable labels, emphasizing clear icons and interfaces to enhance consumer understanding and avoid confusion with other shopping elements.
• Technological Enablement: Requires a modular, flexible back-end system for data collection and verification, ensuring third-party certified claims are integrated efficiently across the value chain.
• Governance and Evolution: Backed by broad stakeholder input (brands, NGOs, investors) and aligned with global regulations, it allows for continuous improvement. Addressed investor and stakeholder priorities while building consumer trust.

Collaboration and Stakeholders

• Involves Accenture, Fordham University’s Responsible Business Coalition, Vogue, and key brands/retailers (e.g., Macy’s, Nordstrom, Ralph Lauren). The framework originated from industry research to close the gap between current practices and consumer preferences.

Next Steps

• Pilots are underway to test technology and implementation. The goal is modular flexibility, verified by standards, to align product-level data with regulatory requirements and drive sustainable consumer behavior changes through standardized, trustworthy labels. The framework supports broader industry transparency and is designed for expansion.