A Gap Analysis of Sustainability Framework in the Apparel Industry
##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.main##
Published
Sep 6, 2025
Abstract
The apparel industry faces growing pressure to embrace sustainability due to its substantial environmental and social footprint. This study presents a comparative gap analysis of four widely adopted sustainability frameworks: the Higg Index (FEM + FSLM), Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC), and Target Corporation’s internal guidelines. Using a structured scoring matrix (0 = no coverage to 3 = full, auditable coverage), the study evaluates how each standard addresses key environmental, social, and audit-related criteria. Results show that while Higg and Target demonstrate balanced performance across both environmental and social areas, ZDHC remains narrowly focused on chemical safety, and GRS primarily on recycled content. Significant coverage gaps persist, particularly in emission tracking, labor rights enforcement, and audit harmonization. Visual and weighted analysis further confirms the fragmentation between standards. These findings highlight the urgent need for an integrated, harmonized approach to minimize redundant audits and support more efficient, credible sustainability practices.
##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.details##
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Hak Cipta :
Penulis yang mempublikasikan manuskripnya di jurnal ini menyetujui ketentuan berikut:
- Hak cipta pada setiap artikel adalah milik penulis.
- Penulis mengakui bahwa Ranah Research : Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development berhak menjadi yang pertama menerbitkan dengan lisensi Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (Attribution 4.0 International CC BY 4.0) .
- Penulis dapat mengirimkan artikel secara terpisah, mengatur distribusi non-eksklusif manuskrip yang telah diterbitkan dalam jurnal ini ke versi lain (misalnya, dikirim ke repositori institusi penulis, publikasi ke dalam buku, dll.), dengan mengakui bahwa manuskrip telah diterbitkan pertama kali di Ranah Research.
References
Ellen Macarthur Foundation. (2017). A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future.
Garcia-Torres, S., Rey-García, M., Sáenz, J., & Seuring, S. (2022). Traceability and transparency for sustainable fashion-apparel supply chains. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 26(2), 344–364.
Flores-Hernández, A., Olavarría-Jaraba, A., Valera-Blanes, G., & Vázquez-Carrasco, R. (2020). Sustainability and branding in retail: A model of chain of effects. Sustainability, 12(14), 5800.
IEA. (2023). Energy efficiency 2023. https://www.iea.org
Jia, F., Yin, S., Chen, L., & Chen, X. (2020). The circular economy in the textile and apparel industry: A systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 259, 120728.
Khalid, M. K., Agha, M. H., Shah, S. T., & Akhtar, M. N. (2020). Conceptualizing audit fatigue in the context of sustainable supply chains. Sustainability, 12(21), 9135.
Parsa, M., Nookabadi, A. S., & Atan, Z. (2020). A joint economic lot-size model for sustainable industries of recycled content products. International Journal of Production Research, 58(24), 7439–7470.
Prado, V., Daystar, J., Wallace, M., Pires, S., & Laurin, L. (2021). Evaluating alternative environmental decision support matrices for future Higg MSI scenarios. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 26, 1357–1373.
Quantis. (2018). Insights from the environmental impact of the global apparel and footwear industries study.
Textile Exchange. (2022). GRS: Global Recycled Standard v4.0 Implementation Manual. https://textileexchange.org
UNEP. (2020). Sustainability and circularity in the textile value chain: Global stocktaking.
ZDHC Foundation. (2024). ZDHC Conformance Guidance Manual v3.0. https://zdhc.org