The aim is to make it easier for companies to assess the environmental impact of the different materials they are considering for use in their products. The index assesses materials for five impacts: chemistry, global warming potential, nutrient pollution in water, water scarcity, and fossil fuel depletion. Sports footwear brand Salomon, for example, says it has already used the Higg Index to assess more than 800 different materials. It says it wants to give “environmental visibility” to end consumers and communicate “transparently” with its suppliers about sustainability.

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