General Mills, Inc.
GIS
Consumer Staples
2
exclusion reasons
2 themes
This page is part of our public exclusion list — a transparency tool that shows which companies we screen out and why. It is not investment advice, and it is not an accusation. But it is subject to change as our understanding of the facts evolves.
General Mills has set a public target to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 30% across its full value chain by 2030, against a 2020 baseline. This target excludes the majority of the company’s climate impact, as approximately 90% of its total emissions fall within Scope 3, originating from its agricultural supply chain. The company’s stated plans rely heavily on regenerative agriculture practices, which lack a standardized, measurable definition for emissions reductions. A 2023 analysis by the NewClimate Institute and Carbon Market Watch rated the integrity of General Mills' headline climate target as "low," citing insufficient transparency and a reliance on carbon credits from nature-based solutions to achieve its goal. This structure creates a high risk of misleading stakeholders about the company's actual progress in mitigating its significant climate footprint.
General Mills has been excluded for its systematic role in spreading misinformation regarding the nutritional and health impacts of its products. The company has a documented history of funding and disseminating research that obscures the health risks of ultra-processed foods and sugary cereals, particularly those marketed to children.
This pattern includes funding academic research and front groups that downplay the links between sugar consumption and chronic diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes. The company has also engaged in marketing campaigns for children's cereals that make health claims not supported by independent nutritional science, contributing to public confusion about healthy eating.
Despite public commitments to nutrition, the company's core business model continues to rely on marketing sugary, processed foods, and its advocacy efforts have historically opposed stricter public health regulations and clearer food labeling that would counter consumer misinformation.
Research Sources
9 organizations
Related Exclusions
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Companies appear on our exclusion list based on our investment judgment — not because they've done anything illegal. This is a difference of values and opinion, not an accusation of wrongdoing. Exclusion does not constitute a recommendation against investing in any company, and absence from the list does not constitute a recommendation to invest.
This information is provided for educational and transparency purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Data is drawn from independent watchdogs, NGOs, government registries, and Ethical Capital's ongoing research — see Research Sources for the full list.
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