Rheinmetall AG — Ethics Grade D+

Rheinmetall AG receives an overall ethics grade of D+ (38/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Defense & Aerospace. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 55
• privacy: 50
• consumer: 60
• environment: 45
• humanRights: 15

Documented incidents (3)

• Arms Sales to Conflict Zones (high, 2020) — The company faced criticism for exporting military vehicles and weapons to countries involved in the Yemen conflict, allegedly bypassing German export restrictions by using international subsidiaries like RWM Italia.
• Indian Defense Blacklisting (high, 2014) — India's Ministry of Defense blacklisted Rheinmetall Air Defence for ten years following allegations of bribery and illicit payments to secure a multi-million dollar air defense contract.
• Aggressive War Lobbying (medium, 2023) — The company has been accused by peace groups of aggressively lobbying for increased military spending in Europe to maximize profits during the Ukraine-Russia conflict, potentially escalating arms races.

Documented good deeds

• Hydrogen Engine Development — Rheinmetall successfully tested hydrogen-powered engines to reduce the carbon footprint of future logistical and civil transport vehicles.

Ethical alternatives

• Saab AB — Maintains higher transparency in export compliance and ethical lobbying standards.