NEW HAVEN, Conn. and AMSTERDAM and HONG KONG and OAKLAND, Calif., September 25, 2026 /3BL/ – Cascale and Worldly will collaborate directly with a Yale instructor to bring the Higg Index and real-world case studies to a fashion value chain course at the Yale School of the Environment.
The collaboration centers on three industry-informed case studies for the semester commencing in September 2026, as part of a broader curriculum, and brings interdisciplinary real-world examples to the classroom across subject areas for more in-depth learning. The course is titled “Transforming Global Value Chains for Sustainability: The Case of Fashion and Textiles’” at the Yale School of the Environment. Yale will also be joining Cascale’s membership base.
“Yale is where I learned how to analyze complex systems where there were no clear answers. In the years since, mentoring students who want to work at the intersection of business and sustainability, I’ve seen how a lack of access to the tools and data the industry actually runs on holds back brilliant students’ abilities to understand the whole picture,” said J.R. Siegel, vice president of sustainability at Worldly, who is also a Yale alumni and mentor. “This course closes that gap. Last year alone, facilities shared verified data with brands through Worldly more than 100,000 times. Students who work with the same platform and data will start their careers understanding how the work gets done, not just in theory but in practice.”
“Students want real industry experience in sustainability fields, but they rarely get access to the leaders, frameworks, and real-world context shaping global value chains,” said Lee Green, vice president of marketing, communications, and public affairs at Cascale. “Convening that expertise is what Cascale does. Bringing it into a Yale classroom is simply how we put it to work preparing the next generation. ”
Students will dive deeper into how environmental factors such as water use, chemical management, greenhouse gases, land use, waste, and more influence sustainability progress. They will also examine the social impact of the industry and how it addresses human rights. Uniquely, the course is open to Yale students across disciplines.
“Complex industries like consumer goods and fashion offer an incredibly rare opportunity for multi-disciplinary engagement and discoveries,” said Michelle Gabriel, lecturer at Yale School of the Environment (YSE) and resident fellow at the Yale Center for Business and the Environment (CBEY) . “Known for its significant environmental footprint, deeply entwined social implications, and historic underregulation, the subject matter is prime for students across Yale to engage in real-world problem solving. There is immense value that emerges when academia mingles with industry. In collaborating directly with reputable organizations like Cascale and Worldly, I’m confident that we will lay the groundwork for closer collaboration between academia and industry.”
Brands, retailers, and manufacturers came together 15 years ago to develop the Higg Index and continue to shape its impact today. It is one of the most widely adopted impact measurement frameworks in consumer goods. Organizations worldwide rely on the Higg Index to identify, understand, measure, and act to improve social and environmental performance. It is exclusively available on the Worldly platform, with methodology shaped by Cascale and its members. Consumer goods companies and their suppliers use Worldly to prove how their products are made so they can report, comply, and act.
The contributed case studies will explore the role and value of multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) and unique stakeholder perspectives and the value of responsible purchasing practices using Cascale Better Buying survey insights.
Academia is a valued part of Cascale membership and Worldly’s platform user base. For more information on Cascale membership, explore membership. Learn about the Higg Index and explore Worldly’s current offerings.
This partnership signals a broader shift in how the industry develops talent. By embedding real tools and real data into academia, Worldly and Cascale are raising the bar for the next generation of sustainability professionals.
Media Contact: Forster Communications, cascaleforster@forster.co.uk
ABOUT CASCALE
Cascale is the global nonprofit industry alliance where consumer goods organizations turn shared sustainability ambitions into measurable progress at scale to combat climate change and support decent work for all. We unite 300 Corporate and Affiliate members in pre-competitive collaboration, turning shared measurement and collective action into reduced risk, stronger credibility, and long-term resilience. Our work is anchored by Cascale’s stewardship of the Higg Index frameworks (accessed through the Worldly compliance and sustainability platform), along with the Better Buying and Sustainable Furnishings Council tools.
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ABOUT WORLDLY
Worldly is the compliance and sustainability platform where consumer goods companies and their suppliers prove how their products are made, so they can report, comply, and act. Suppliers save time by reporting through one industry framework, sharing their assessments over 100,000 times annually on Worldly. Retailers and consumer goods brands get environmental, social, and chemical data together in one place, at the facility and product level. AI built on verified facility data, not estimates, turns that data into answers, showing companies where risk sits in their supply chains and where to act first.
