Consumer watchdogs sent shockwaves through the fashion industry when they declared illegal the use of Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI) data to guide consumers on environmental impact.
At the heart of the concerns of the Norwegian Consumer Authority (NCA) was the use of lifecycle analysis (LCA) reports containing global averages for the environmental impact of organic cotton.
Debate has subsequently raged between those who believe that Higg MSI data is not fit for purpose for consumer-facing sustainability labels and those who argue it is the best we have and, while not perfect, far better than nothing.
