There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to sustainability. For example, certain issues that apply to a large athletic shoe brand might not be relevant to a small brand that primarily makes niche apparel from upcycled materials. 

Both Good On You’s brand rating system [PDF] and Good Measures have been developed in close consultation with a range of industry experts to ensure that each brand is fairly considered based on the best practices that apply to their unique position. This is reflected in the questions you’re asked and how certain issues are weighted.

In every case, materiality is key—meaning Good On You assesses issues based on what’s most important and impactful. 

Here are some of the primary factors that determine how your Good Measures experience is personalised, as well as some insights into how your answers on some issues might affect your Good On You score and rating.

 

Brand size

Good On You’s rating system distinguishes between large and small brands. A brand is classified as large or small based on its annual turnover or that of its parent company using the definition set out by the European Commission. The size classifications help determine the issues that each brand is expected to address. 

Large brands have more influence, resources, and control over their supply chain. We expect them to address a wider range of sustainability issues—including deforestation, biodiversity, and climate change targets—and to respond to more data points within some issues. 

The standards for small brands remain rigorous, but the assessment is also relative to their overall impact and what’s considered to be best practice for brands that have access to fewer resources and have less influence on the supply chain.

 

Product range 

What products your brand sells helps determine what issues are more relevant to your specific circumstances and overall footprint.

That’s why you’ll be asked a series of questions about your product range, your materials, and so on. Your answers will determine how Good Measures customises your experience. For example, if you don’t sell any shoes, you won’t be asked about issues that relate to that category and they won’t influence your overall score or rating. The same is true for a range of other categories.

A similar approach applies to your material selection. For example, if a high proportion of your products are made with oil-based synthetic materials (such as polyester or nylon), then relevant items like microplastic impacts will be weighted accordingly.

 

Standards and business practices

When you provide information about your brand’s standards or certifications in certain issues such as Certifications and Materials, you may see this elevate your score elsewhere—and your answers sometimes stand in for other issues entirely.

Standards and certifications systems are weighted according to their scope and the quality of their assurance. In other words, we consider both the ambition of the standard—what it applies to and at what level—and how well they ensure brands comply. Those with a broad scope may affect your score on other issues. For example, when you answer questions for one issue, you may see this increase your score on a few others. That’s because answers about, say, a product-level certification, may demonstrate a high level of performance on related issues. 

Certain standards or assessments—including the Fashion Transparency Index, CDP Climate, and CDP Water—stand in entirely for other issues. If this applies to you, you may see certain issues greyed out, meaning you don’t need to answer them. In these cases, you’ll have the opportunity to provide further information about what you do and how you disclose this for Good On You to consider when your updates are submitted for a rating review. 

Similarly, there are some business practices we ask you about that may influence other issues. For example, several issues in your people score may factor whether you’re working with facilities in lower risk countries or employing local artisans.