FEM 2026 Scoring Changes

Summary

1. Three Wastewater Level 2 scores — wwzdhcguideline, wwtesttss and wwzdhcfoundational — now leave the level average when the question is answered Not Applicable. In FEM 2025 a Not Applicable answer counted as 0; a facility reporting against ZDHC guidelines for which a test does not apply is no longer penalised.
2. chemcontractorsm now awards half credit for Partial Yes. In FEM 2025 only Yes scored.
3. The per-source ensourcetrack scores (one for each energy source row) are no longer present when ensourcetrackopteach is answered No: that answer means no energy source is tracked and the energy source tables are not shown, so the rows cannot earn points. Water and vehicle fuels already worked this way. A facility that tracks some sources answers Partial Yes and scores the rows it tracks, as before.
4. No scores were added or removed, and the level weights and the way level, section and total scores are combined are unchanged, so FEM 2025 and FEM 2026 scores are directly comparable.

The FEM 2026 scoring method is described in FEM 2026 Scoring; this document lists only what differs from FEM 2025.

Method and weights

Level weights (25 / 50 / 25 points for Levels 1, 2 and 3), the section rules for Water, Wastewater and Air Emissions, and the way level, section and total scores are averaged are the same in FEM 2025 and FEM 2026.

Scores that apply differently

The FEM 2026 rule for when each score counts. Where a score now leaves the average on a Not Applicable answer, that answer scored 0 in FEM 2025.

wwtesttss — Wastewater, Level 2

Change: a Not Applicable answer to wwtesttss no longer counts as 0; the score is left out of the Wastewater Level 2 average.

Applies when (FEM 2026):

This score is applicable to FEM users who meet all of the following criteria:

1. Have achieved Waste Water Level 1 by scoring more than 0 on all applicable scored questions in Waste Water Level 1
2. Do not treat waste water exclusively through a domestic septic system
3. Treat industrial waste water onsite (including zero liquid discharge)
4. Have indicated reporting against at least one of the following wastewater standards:
   • ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines (for Leather & Textile) (WWG)
   • ZDHC MMCF Guidelines
   • ZDHC Sludge Reference Document
5. Have answered wwtesttss with something other than Not Applicable — a Not Applicable answer removes this score from the Wastewater Level 2 average instead of counting as 0 points

wwzdhcfoundational — Wastewater, Level 2

Change: a Not Applicable answer to wwzdhcfoundational no longer counts as 0; the score is left out of the Wastewater Level 2 average.

Applies when (FEM 2026):

This score is applicable to FEM users who meet all of the following criteria:

1. Have achieved Waste Water Level 1 by scoring more than 0 on all applicable scored questions in Waste Water Level 1
2. Do not treat waste water exclusively through a domestic septic system
3. Treat industrial waste water on site (excluding zero liquid discharge)
4. Have indicated reporting against at least one of the following wastewater standards:
   • ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines (for Leather & Textile) (WWG)
   • ZDHC MMCF Guidelines
   • ZDHC Sludge Reference Document
5. Have answered wwzdhcfoundational with something other than Not Applicable — a Not Applicable answer removes this score from the Wastewater Level 2 average instead of counting as 0 points

wwzdhcguideline — Wastewater, Level 2

Change: a Not Applicable answer to wwzdhcguideline no longer counts as 0; the score is left out of the Wastewater Level 2 average.

Applies when (FEM 2026):

This score is applicable to FEM users who meet all of the following criteria:

1. Have achieved Waste Water Level 1 by scoring more than 0 on all applicable scored questions in Waste Water Level 1
2. Do not treat waste water exclusively through a domestic septic system
3. Treat industrial waste water on site (excluding zero liquid discharge)
4. Have indicated reporting against at least one of the following wastewater standards:
   • ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines (for Leather & Textile) (WWG)
   • ZDHC MMCF Guidelines
   • ZDHC Sludge Reference Document
5. Have answered wwzdhcguideline with something other than Not Applicable — a Not Applicable answer removes this score from the Wastewater Level 2 average instead of counting as 0 points

Scores earned differently

chemcontractorsm — Chemicals

Does your contractor(s)/subcontractor(s)/upstream supplier(s) source already approved or preferred chemicals from a positive list to replace chemicals not already included in MRSL?

FEM 2025: Yes = full credit; any other answer = 0.

FEM 2026: Yes = full credit, Partial Yes = half credit; any other answer = 0.

Scoring (FEM 2026): Users receive full points for this score when they answer chemcontractorsm Yes, answering Partial Yes results in a partial score of 0.5, and answering No or Unknown results in 0 points.

Reworded scored questions

The wording changed; the scoring rule did not unless the question is listed above.