Rolls-Royce Holdings plc — Ethics Grade F

Rolls-Royce Holdings plc receives an overall ethics grade of F (18/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Defense & Aerospace. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 55
• privacy: 70
• consumer: 38
• environment: 42
• humanRights: 40

Documented incidents (3)

• Global Bribery Settlement (high, 2017) — The company paid over £671 million to UK, US, and Brazilian authorities to settle allegations of systemic bribery and corruption spanning 25 years in twelve countries. The scheme involved paying intermediaries to secure lucrative aerospace and energy contracts.
• Trent 1000 Engine Defects (medium, 2018) — Widespread technical issues with the Trent 1000 engine caused blade corrosion and cracking, leading to the grounding of dozens of Boeing 787 Dreamliners globally. This resulted in significant financial losses for airline carriers.
• Industrial Emissions (medium, 2019) — Rolls-Royce has been cited for significant carbon footprints associated with the lifecycle of its high-thrust jet engines and gas turbines. Critics argue its transition to SAF and electric flight is moving too slowly to meet 1.5C targets.

Documented good deeds

• Hydrogen Engine Breakthrough — Successfully tested a modern aero engine running on green hydrogen, a key step in decarbonizing long-haul aviation.

Ethical alternatives

• Siemens Energy — More transparent reporting and aggressive shift away from heavy fossil fuel hardware.