The newly launched Apparel Impact Institute (AII) is designed to work with brands and manufacturers to select, fund, and scale projects that dramatically improve the sustainability impact of the apparel and footwear industry.

This initiative has been put together by Target, PVH, Gap HSBC Holdings. Sustainable Apparel Coalition is providing industry support and access to Higg Index data. The Apparel Impact Institute will encourage joint action on scaling practices that have a positive impact on people, planet, and the whole industry, while simultaneously helping brands and manufacturers improve their Higg Index scores.

Despite widespread awareness of the environmental hazards within the apparel and footwear industry, few pilot projects designed to reduce impacts are operating at the scale needed to meet the critical environmental and social outcomes brands and consumers are seeking. AII will identify promising projects that are working in limited geography, for example, or are targeting a narrow problem yet show potential for broader application. By applying the appropriate resources, AII will help bring them to scale more quickly.

AII's first project will focus on mill improvement, one of the most environmentally impactful segments of clothing production. Future projects will include closed-loop recycling and worker well-being, for example, and will expand to include additional brands and manufacturers in the apparel and footwear industry.