SK Hynix Inc. — Ethics Grade C-

SK Hynix Inc. receives an overall ethics grade of C- (42/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Technology. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 38
• privacy: 60
• consumer: 55
• environment: 45
• humanRights: 50

Documented incidents (3)

• Occupational Disease Controversy (high, 2021) — The company faced long-standing criticism regarding high rates of leukemia and other cancers among workshop employees due to chemical exposure. While a compensation scheme was established, many workers claimed the process for proving causality remained excessively burdensome.
• High Carbon Intensity (medium, 2022) — As a leading chipmaker, SK Hynix has been cited for its massive energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Reports indicate that the production of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) significantly increased its carbon footprint despite renewable energy pledges.
• DRAM Price Fixing Allegations (medium, 2018) — The company was named in class-action lawsuits alleging a conspiracy with other manufacturers to restrict the supply of DRAM chips. This artificial supply constraint allegedly drove up prices for consumer electronics globally.

Documented good deeds

• RE100 Commitment Progress — The company successfully transitioned several overseas production sites to 100% renewable energy and launched a 'Zero Waste to Landfill' initiative certified by UL.

Ethical alternatives

• ASML Holding NV — ASML maintains higher transparency standards and superior ESG ratings for hardware manufacturing.