Volvo Car AB — Ethics Grade B-

Volvo Car AB receives an overall ethics grade of B- (62/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Automotive. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 60
• privacy: 70
• consumer: 55
• environment: 75
• humanRights: 58

Documented incidents (3)

• Cobalt Mining Supply Chain Issues (high, 2019) — Investigations identified risks of child labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo within the supply chains of major EV battery producers supplying Volvo. The company has since moved to blockchain tracking to mitigate these risks.
• EPA Emissions Penalty (medium, 2024) — Volvo was part of a group of automakers that faced scrutiny over excess greenhouse gas emissions from older vehicle fleets. The company adjusted its carbon credit strategy to comply with federal standards.
• Largest Global Safety Recall (high, 2020) — Volvo recalled over 2.1 million vehicles globally due to a steel cable issue in front seat belts that could fatigue over time. This represented the largest safety recall in the company's history.

Documented good deeds

• Phase-out of Internal Combustion Engines — Volvo committed to becoming a fully electric car company by 2030, one of the most ambitious targets among traditional automakers.

Ethical alternatives

• Polestar — While related, Polestar focuses exclusively on EVs and publishes detailed Life Cycle Assessment reports for transparency.