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Our Ethical Ratings

Ethical Consumer offers comprehensive, in-depth research into corporate ethics, accessible to everyone. 


 

We meticulously analyse the policies and actions of hundreds of companies, focusing on critical areas like climate impact, worker treatment, animal welfare, tax practices, and overall company values.

The scores on our ethical shopping guides are compiled from this research to give an overview of how the brands and products within different markets compare on a wide range of ethical issues.

Up to date

Our ethical ratings are continuously updated with the latest scores and insights from our extensive research database. This database, built over 30 years, is updated daily by our dedicated research team, ensuring you have the most current information.

Each piece of research, or ‘story,’ we add to the database affects a company’s score for five years from the date it was last updated. Stories older than five years will remain on the database as a historical reference but will no longer impact company scores.

In-depth

Unlike many ethical buying guides that focus solely on the product, Ethical Consumer offers a unique, in-depth look at the ethics of the companies behind the brands. This includes examining the actions of parent and sister companies, providing a more comprehensive view.

After all, isn't it better to buy a cruelty-free product from a company that doesn't test its other products on animals? Or recycled toilet paper from a firm that isn't cutting down virgin forests for its other ranges?

The activities of each company are examined by our team of highly trained researchers and measured against our ethical criteria based on the highest industry standards.

Transparent and independent

The research and rationale behind every rating is available to view on our website. By looking deeper into the ethical shopping guides or by visiting our company profile pages, subscribers can see which companies own each brand, and their ethical ratings across all the different categories.

Our sources

We compile our research from diverse primary and secondary sources, including direct requests for information from the companies we rate. We also integrate published research from reputable campaign groups like Oxfam, Friends of the Earth, and War on Want, alongside news sources, public records, and directories.

New scoring system: February 2024 onwards

We've transitioned to a new rating system, effective from February 2024, focusing on the most relevant issues for each sector (e.g., food) alongside core ethical categories. All guides produced after this date now use this enhanced scoring system.

Each brand will be scored out of 100, starting at 0 and gaining or losing marks depending on its policies and practices. 

The score tables in each new guide will always include ratings on three key categories:

  • climate
  • tax conduct
  • company ethos

Each guide will also include additional rating categories depending on the market: for example, a cotton sourcing rating in a clothing guide. 

Core ratings categories

Our climate rating assesses whether a company identifies and acts to reduce its main carbon impacts, demonstrates evidence of reducing these impacts, and provides a detailed plan for emissions reduction in its sector. Companies focused on products or services that facilitate a transition to a lower carbon society receive a higher score.

We also look for:

  • Full annual public reporting of its emissions – all three scopes.
  • A future target for all scopes that is either approved by the SBTi or with cuts of 90% by 2050.
  • If the company works in developing new extraction fossil fuel projects, building new fossil fired power stations or in doing anything with coal.
  • Misleading public messaging on climate change, such as use of the term 'carbon neutral'.
  • Reputable and significant third-party criticisms.

Our company ethos rating considers factors such as:

  • Membership of lobby groups.
  • Executive pay over £1million.
  • Positive policy on pay ratios.
  • Production in arms and military, mining, fossil fuels or nuclear power.
  • Focus on environmentally or socially beneficial products.
  • Commitment to progressive change.
  • Significant boycotts aligned with our ratings.
  • Third-party criticisms.
  • Positive company structures e.g. non-profit.
  • Living Wage certification.

Our tax rating evaluates:

  • Presence of subsidiaries in tax havens.
  • Fair Tax Mark accreditation.
  • Public tax statement confirming a policy against tax avoidance, with explanations for subsidiaries in tax havens
  • Public country-by-country reporting of sales and taxes paid, demonstrating no tax avoidance
  • Reputable third-party criticisms.

Our workers rating looks at:

  • Supplier code of conduct.
  • Support for worker-driven monitoring in the supply chain.
  • Company publishes suppliers (higher score the more tiers published).
  • Choice of place of manufacture in relation to labour rights.
  • Purchasing/buying policies and practices.
  • Living wages commitment, action plan, methodology, achievements.
  • Work with trade unions in the supply chain.
  • Reputable and significant third-party criticisms.

For companies with annual turnover under £50 million:

  • Supplier code of conduct.
  • Company publishes suppliers (higher score the more tiers published).
  • Proportion of Fairtrade products.
  • Choice of place of manufacture in relation to labour rights.
  • Purchasing/buying policies and practices - long term relationship with suppliers, visits to monitor workers rights, manufactures products in-house.
  • Reputable and significant third-party criticisms.

Clothing guide additional categories

  • Cotton is Fairtrade certified
  • Cotton is organic-certified
  • Cotton is Better Cotton Initiative certified
  • Cotton is from recycled sources
  • Cotton is not sourced from Turkmenistan
  • Cotton is not sourced from Xinjiang
  • Reputable and significant third-party criticisms

  • Use of sustainable materials
  • Recycling water/reducing water pollution from fabric processes
  • Use of sustainable materials, including synthetics
  • Signatory of ZDHC or own MRSL (needs an explainer)
  • Reputable and significant third-party criticisms

  • Takes shoes back, or designed for: genuine recycling / upper repair.
  • Options with biodegradable uppers.
  • Bio-based and vegan.
  • Cotton organic / recycled.
  • Use of recycled materials.
  • Other action on toxics.
  • Second hand only.
  • Overall focus on alternatives.
  • Uses mainly PU but taking action to reduce impacts.
  • Used leather - explicitly durable / vegetable tanned / all 'LWG' gold certified.

  • Are all products PFAS free, or majority with target date for the rest.
  • Only sells second hand.
  • Target date for phase out of PFAS and is member of 'ZDHC'.
  • Reducing PFAS but no target date and not ZDHC member.
  • Target date for banning PFAS in DWR or PTFE but not both.
  • Some discussion or policy. 

Food guides additional categories

Our Animals rating looks at:

  • Vegan policies.
  • Use of animal products (without explicit vegan policy).
  • Vegetarian policies.
  • Selling secondhand products only (eg clothing).
  • Animal products not significant part of business.
  • Policies to prevent the worst welfare outcomes.
  • Involvement in high risk sectors for particularly poor animal welfare outcomes.
  • Reputable and significant third-party criticisms.

  • Are palm oil and derivatives RSPO certified?
  • Persistent efforts to avoid palm
  • Palm oil free
  • Is over 50% Identity Preserved or Segregated?
  • Companies with turnover over £100m: Annual grievance list?
  • Companies with turnover over £100m: Mill list?
  • Reputable and significant third-party criticisms

  • only sells organic eggs
  • only sells free range eggs
  • sells organic, free range and barn but no eggs from caged hens
  • Sells any caged hens
  • has a policy on beak trimming and no-kill male chicks

  • Cow with calf dairy
  • Organic certified
  • Pasture for Life certified
  • Some organic, rest has a welfare certification
  • Some organic, rest has no welfare certification
  • Has a policy on its ‘surplus’ dairy calves

  • the company uses soya as an ingredient and/or in animal feed
  • only uses organic soya which is unlikely to come from South America where risk of deforestation is high
  • not organic and soya sourcing country not specified so it might be from South America
  • third party criticisms relating to its soya sourcing

Home and Garden additional categories

Does not use or has dated target for phase out for: 

  • Triclosan
  • Parabens
  • Phthalates
  • Formaldehyde
  • Microplastics and poorly biodegradable liquid polymers

  • Fixed cut-off date for animal testing of ingredients
  • Vegan certified or clear statement against the use of animal derivatives

  • Reduced amount of packaging in own operations
  • Reduced amount of packaging in supply chain
  • Packaging of products: reusable / returnable / unpackaged
  • Single use packaging: plastic free / recycled materials / home compostable
  • Other steps to reduce packaging
  • Reputable and significant third-party criticisms

  • Fridge freezer energy ratings visible and has models above D rating
  • Washing machine energy ratings visible and has A rated models
  • If all washing machines are A rated
  • If at least 25% of fridge freezers are rated A-C
  • If there are more American-style models than ordinary models A-C
  • Dishwasher energy ratings visible and has models A-B rated

Technology additional categories

  • Commitment to responsible sourcing - conflict AND environment
  • Evidence that the company addresses high impact minerals, other than 3TG
  • Due diligence - conflict AND environment
  • Conflict minerals policy included in supplier contracts
  • Membership or financial support of multi-stakeholder initiative
  • Suppliers to only use audited smelters
  • Full list of smelters or refiners (SORs)
  • Increasing recycled minerals + due diligence

What about diversity, equity and inclusion?

In 2023 we applied a trial DEI rating (diversity, equity and inclusivity) to a selection of companies to see how they would rate. This was conducted after consulting with a variety of organisations.

We had mixed results and shared the findings with organisations and readers. We have reflected on the findings and feedback and at this stage are not introducing a blanket DEI rating, but may consider developing a bespoke rating for specific guides. This is now possible under our new rating system.

The scoring system up to February 2024

We previously scored products out of 20 and companies out of 15. 

To make the guides compatible with our new rating system, we created a score of 100 using a multiplier. 

All companies/products start with a score of 14, and points were taken away for criticism received in each of our categories (see below for a full list of categories and sub-categories).

Companies could score a positive mark under the Company Ethos category if they committed to certain things (e.g. Fairtrade) across their whole company group.

Product scores were based on the company score, with additional marks added for positive features (such as certified fairtrade or organic).

Therefore, a product on a Shopping Guide score table could score more highly than the company that owns it.

The ratings categories (up to Feb 2024)

The information below relates to the guides that are still using our previous scoring system. 

Updating our 100+ guides takes time and until we have cycled through them all, you will continue to find guides still using our previous rating system. For that reason, we have kept the details below. 

Our previous ratings consisted of around 300 subcategories in nineteen key areas, which were split between five main categories:

Pig

Animals

Our research on animals is divided into three main areas:

  • Animal Testing
  • Factory Farming
  • Animal Rights & Cruelty
Learn more
pollution rankings page

Environment

As 'environment' is a very broad area, we use five different categories:

  • Environmental Reporting
  • Climate Change
  • Pollution & Toxics
  • Habitats & Resources
  • Palm Oil
Learn more
workers

People

Our 'People' category is divided into 5 areas of research:

  • Human Rights
  • Workers' Rights
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Irresponsible Marketing
  • Arms & Military Supply
Learn more
boycott

Politics

Our research into a company's politics is divided into 5 areas:

  • Anti-Social Finance
  • Boycott Calls
  • Controversial Technologies
  • Political Activity
  • Tax Conduct
Learn more
wind trubine ranknings

Sustainability

We have two categories rewarding those brands making a positive impact: 

  • Company Ethos
  • Product Sustainability (organic, fairtrade, energy efficient, vegan & vegetarian products)
Learn more

Also in this section

We always check the ethics of our advertisers