Cascale has created a new governance body, the Cascale Technical Advisory Council, designed to bring more structured expert input into the organisation’s most important technical workstreams most notably the upkeep and evolution of the Higg Index framework, its modules and its underlying methodologies.
Beyond the Higg Index, the council’s remit also includes providing technical advice on tool offerings associated with Better Buying and the Sustainable Furnishings Council, broadening its influence across multiple measurement and accountability initiatives connected to supply-chain sustainability.
The Cascale Technical Advisory Council brings together representatives from a wide cross-section of Cascale’s membership and partner ecosystem. Organisations named as part of the council include CIEL Textiles, Columbia Sportswear, EILEEN FISHER, Elevate Textiles, Leadership & Sustainability, MAS Holdings, Patagonia, Primark, Sapphire Textile Mills, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and WWF. Cascale also said additional specialist expertise will be contributed by external entities including 2B Policy, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
Cascale said the TAC was established in response to member feedback calling for greater transparency and more meaningful participation in governance decisions. The council will provide recommendations that are formally captured and shared through existing governance pathways, with outputs distributed to Cascale’s Executive Team, Board of Directors and the wider membership to support alignment.
The move comes as frameworks such as the Higg Index continue to be widely deployed across global supply chains. Cascale noted that Higg tools delivered through Worldly’s technology platform are used by thousands of organisations to measure, benchmark and improve environmental and social performance, shaping corporate strategies and supplier engagement programmes worldwide.
Cascale governance director Nikki Wood said: “This evolution reflects what we’ve heard clearly from our members: they want structured, transparent pathways to contribute their expertise. The Technical Advisory Council strengthens our foundation of governance and measurement, ensuring that the systems our industry relies on remain credible, inclusive, and responsive to emerging challenges.”
Cascale stressed that the TAC is advisory, while ultimate authority remains with the Board of Directors. The board is elected with equal representation from affiliates, manufacturers, brands and retailers. In designing the TAC, Cascale said it has built in open calls for participation and balanced representation across membership categories.
The organisation also positioned the council as an extension of its governance principles collaboration, equity, inclusion and transparency saying these values will be reinforced through published reports and regular member communications.
Cascale said it plans to roll out additional governance updates throughout 2026, with members able to follow developments and review related documentation via the Governance section on Cascale Connect.
Todd Copeland, chair of Cascale’s Technical Advisory Council and founder and owner of Copeland Consultancy, said: “The formation of a Technical Advisory Council is an exciting step in Cascale’s ongoing development of sustainability tools like the Higg Index, with the intent of ensuring they are the most applicable, accessible, widely adopted, and effective means for measurement and improvement of sustainability performance.
“Going forward, structured input from all perspectives will influence the future of sustainability tools, reflecting Cascale’s history of equal partnership and continuous improvement.”