H&M Group (Hennes & Mauritz AB) — Ethics Grade C+

H&M Group (Hennes & Mauritz AB) receives an overall ethics grade of C+ (58/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Consumer Goods. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 45
• privacy: 85
• consumer: 50
• environment: 55
• humanRights: 40

Documented incidents (3)

• Allegations of Forced Labor (high, 2020) — H&M was named in reports for sourcing cotton from the Xinjiang region of China, where Uyghur minorities were allegedly subjected to forced labor. The company eventually severed ties with specific yarn producers but faced complex supply chain mapping challenges.
• Conscious Collection Greenwashing (medium, 2022) — A class-action lawsuit alleged H&M used misleading data in its 'Conscious' line of clothing. Critics argued the labels used 'Higg Index' scores that made products appear more sustainable than they actually were.
• Burning Unsold Clothes (high, 2017) — Investigations revealed H&M burned dozens of tons of unsold, new clothing in power plants instead of recycling or donating them. The company claimed the clothes were 'contaminated,' but Danish journalists disputed these claims.

Documented good deeds

• Looper Joint Venture — Partnered with Remondis to launch 'Looper,' a joint venture focused on collecting and sorting used textiles for high-quality recycling.

Ethical alternatives

• Eileen Fisher, Inc. — B-Corp certified with a robust second-hand sales program and regenerative sourcing.