Swedish clothing chain H&M has received a warning from the Norwegian Consumer Protection Agency (NCA). The agency does not want H&M to use data from the Higg Index for marketing purposes, the NCA website says. A letter from the NCA to H&M, published online, said the use of the data could be seen as “misleading” and “in contravention” of national marketing laws.
Authority also objects to Norrøna’s marketing
The NCA sent this letter following another event. The agency recently investigated the marketing of Norwegian outdoor and skiwear brand Norrøna Sport AS, which uses data from the Higg Index in marketing to support sustainability claims. The NCA concluded that there was consumer deception and ordered Norrøna Sport AS to change or remove the offending advertisement.
Norrøna used the data to show, for example, that a t-shirt made from conventional cotton has a lower carbon footprint than a t-shirt made from organic cotton. However, the NCA says it has not been able to find any hard evidence to back this up. According to the NCA, the Higg Index figures do not refer to a specific product, but to global averages. The NCA also found that the data on which the Higg Index is based is “scientifically outdated” and not intended for comparisons between products, as Norrøna claims. This criticism was also voiced in a New York Times article published last week.
H&M must review use of Higg Index data or face sanctions
H&M also uses the Higg Index data in consumer marketing. The NCA has not yet launched an investigation into H&M, but states in the letter that the company “needs to review the justification for using the Higg MSI (the Higg Index, ed.) as a communication tool in marketing”. On September 1st, the NCA will conduct another audit at H&M. If violations of marketing law with regard to sustainability information are then determined, sanctions can follow, according to the authority.
This translated article first appeared on FashionUnited.nl.