Vedanta Resources — Ethics Grade F

Vedanta Resources receives an overall ethics grade of F (12/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Mining & Metals. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 20
• privacy: 50
• consumer: 40
• environment: 10
• humanRights: 5

Documented incidents (3)

• Protester Deaths in Thoothukudi (high, 2018) — In Tamil Nadu, police fired on protesters demanding the closure of Vedanta's Sterlite copper smelter due to pollution, killing 13 people. The plant was repeatedly accused of devastating soil and water quality in the region.
• Toxic Spill in Zambia (high, 2021) — The UK Supreme Court ruled that Zambian victims could sue Vedanta in London for toxic pollution from the Nchanga copper mine. Local farmers claimed the company poisoned their water and land with sulphuric acid and chemicals for years.
• Dongria Kondh Displacement (high, 2013) — Vedanta faced global condemnation for its plan to mine bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills of Odisha, India, which are sacred to the Dongria Kondh indigenous people. Local village councils eventually voted unanimously against the project.

Documented good deeds

• Nand Ghar Initiative — Established thousands of community resource centers across India providing early childhood education and maternal healthcare services.

Ethical alternatives

• Norsk Hydro ASA — Lower carbon footprint and significantly better community engagement protocols.