Mondelez International, Inc.
MDLZ
Consumer Staples
3
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.
Mondelez faced a class-action greenwashing lawsuit over marketing Clif Bar as "climate neutral" using unverified carbon offsets. Rainforest Action Network has documented Mondelez's pattern of overstating its climate commitments while avoiding substantive operational emissions reductions.
Mondelez International faces a class action lawsuit alleging its “Cocoa Life” sustainability program falsely markets cocoa sourcing as free from child labor. The complaint, filed in U.S. federal court in early 2024, accuses the company of deceptive labeling on its products, misleading consumers about the conditions in its supply chain. This legal action follows a 2023 investigation by Britain’s Channel 4, which documented child labor on farms in Ghana supplying cocoa for Mondelez.
As one of the world’s largest snack companies, with brands like Cadbury and Oreo, Mondelez is a major buyer of cocoa. The lawsuit centers on the company’s own “Cocoa Life” marketing, which promises to “protect children” and source sustainably. The plaintiffs allege these representations are untrue, citing the documented presence of child labor in its supply chain as evidence the program is failing.
Break Free From Plastic Brand Audit 2023 (Feb 2024) — Rank #5 global plastic polluter; top brand in Asia regional audit; brand users category (snack/confectionery packaging).
Research Sources
7 organizations
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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.
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