Anglo American plc — Ethics Grade D

Anglo American plc receives an overall ethics grade of D (28/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Mining & Metals. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 22
• privacy: 80
• consumer: 60
• environment: 30
• humanRights: 15

Documented incidents (3)

• Kabwe Lead Poisoning Lawsuit (high, 2020) — A class-action lawsuit was filed against the company alleging it caused widespread lead poisoning of children in Kabwe, Zambia, through decades of negligent mining operations. Tens of thousands of residents allegedly suffer from lead-induced disabilities.
• Minas-Rio Pipeline Leaks (high, 2018) — Two major iron ore pipeline leaks in Brazil spilled over 1,000 cubic meters of slurry into local waterways within one month. The company was fined approximately $19 million by Brazilian environmental regulators.
• Fatal Workplace Accidents (high, 2021) — The company reported 11 workplace fatalities across its global operations in a single year, raising concerns about safety standards in deep-level mining environments.

Documented good deeds

• Waterless Mining Research — Invested in technologies to enable closed-loop water systems in water-scarce regions like Chile and South Africa.

Ethical alternatives

• Fortescue Metals Group — World-leading green hydrogen targets and better indigenous advocacy.