H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB — Ethics Grade C-

H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB receives an overall ethics grade of C- (42/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Retail. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 35
• privacy: 25
• consumer: 50
• environment: 48
• humanRights: 30

Documented incidents (3)

• Xinjiang cotton and forced labor (high, 2021) — H&M was implicated in supply chain audits regarding the use of cotton from the Xinjiang region of China, where forced labor or ethnic minorities was reported. The company faced a subsequent backlash and boycott in mainland China.
• Greenwashing lawsuit over 'Conscious' line (medium, 2022) — The and-m-group was sued for misleading marketing regarding its 'Conscious' collection. Investigations alleged that many products marketed as sustainable were actually more resource-intensive than basic items.
• German employee surveillance fine (high, 2020) — The company was fined by a German data protection authority for illegal surveillance of hundreds of employees. Managers kept records of personal details ranging from health conditions to family disputes.

Documented good deeds

• Garment Collecting Program — H&M operates one of the world's largest garment collection systems by volume to promote textile recycling and circularity.

Ethical alternatives

• Patagonia Inc. — Industry leader in circular economy and environmental advocacy.