H&M Group — Ethics Grade C+

H&M Group receives an overall ethics grade of C+ (55/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Fashion & Apparel. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 52
• privacy: 65
• consumer: 60
• environment: 48
• humanRights: 55

Documented incidents (3)

• Greenwashing Lawsuit (medium, 2022) — H&M was sued for allegedly using misleading 'Environmental Scorecards' on its clothing. The lawsuit claimed the company's 'Conscious Collection' utilized data that exaggerated the sustainability of synthetic fabrics.
• Illegal Employee Surveillance Fine (high, 2020) — H&M was fined €35.3 million for illegally spying on employees at its service center in Nuremberg. Management kept detailed records of employees' private lives, including religious beliefs and family issues.
• Union Busting in Myanmar (medium, 2023) — Labor rights groups criticized H&M for failing to protect garment workers in Myanmar following the military coup. Evidence suggested factory owners were using the political situation to fire union leaders under the guise of layoffs.

Documented good deeds

• Green Machine Recycling — Invested in the first industrial-scale technology that can separate and recycle cotton and polyester blend textiles at scale.

Ethical alternatives

• MUD Jeans — Circular business model allowing customers to lease and return jeans for recycling.