2010 CHOICE Shonky Award

Named and shamed in the 2010 CHOICE Shonky Awards. This side-by-side refrigerator consumes far more electricity than its energy star label states which the company claimed was a mistake. However LG's fridge has landed them in hot water with the ACCC after Choice blew the whistle. LG have form for getting their stars mixed up in the past both washing machines and air conditioners have had their energy efficiencies overstated.

Source: Choice (2010)

Fined $160k for misleading customers

In 2018 the Federal Court imposed $160,000 in penalties on LG Electronics Australia Pty Ltd (LG) for making misleading representations to two consumers about their consumer guarantee rights. The Full Court found that LG made misleading representations to two consumers who believed they had purchased faulty televisions, when it implied on phone calls they had no rights other than those under LG's manufacturer's warranties. Consumers who have purchased faulty products have rights to repair, replacements or refunds.

Source: ACCC (2019)

D+ in Guide to Greener Electronics

This company received a grade of D+ in the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics (Oct 2017), which assesses companies from the electronics industry across three impact areas: energy use, resource consumption, and chemical elimination. Of the 17 companies ranked, this company came eighth. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Greenpeace (2017)

Chemical poisoning of workers

The Poisonous Pearl is a 2016 report by Good Electronics which focuses on the experiences of (former) workers in the electronics industry in China who are victims of chemical poisoning. The health of all the workers in the report was damaged by exposure to hazardous chemicals such as benzene and n-hexane. All were working in large or small factories in the Pearl River Delta-region of China, an area well known as being a global hub for the production of consumer electronics (ICT). This company is supplied by factories in the region.

Source: SOMO (2016)

Child labour in gold mining

This 2016 scorecard by SOMO compares electronics companies on their policies and efforts regarding responsible mining and the elimination of child labour, with special attention to the mining of gold. This company is above industry standard on only 2 out of 7 criteria.

Source: Stop Child Labour (2016)

Workers rights in Brazil

Electronics manufacturing in Brazil started with the same kinds of labour violations as seen in countries like China. However over time Brazil's comprehensive labour laws and enforcement thereof have improved conditions for workers, particularly in the areas of excessive working hours and inappropriate use of temporary labour. Despite this, wages are still well below a living wage, unhealthy working conditions remain, and workers still experience harassment and a "culture of fear". [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: SOMO (2017)

Price fixing

In Nov 2008, LG Display, Sharp, and Chunghwa Picture Tubes agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges for participating in a liquid crystal display price-fixing conspiracy and pay $585 million in fines, the U.S. Department of Justice. LG Display (a subsidiary of LG Electronics) was fined US$400 million. [Listed under information due to age of court finding]

Source: news article (2008)

Price fixing

In 2013 LG Display was fined US$18.6 million by the Chinese government over charges that they fixed the prices of LCD panels that they sold to Chinese TV makers from 2001 to 2006. This company has also been fined for price fixing in South Korea, Taiwan and the USA.

Source: news article (2013)

Product carbon footprint label

This company has products that are certified by the Carbon Trust, signifying that the carbon footprint of selected products has been measured, managed and reduced. A life cycle product carbon footprint is determined by calculating the total greenhouse gas emissions generated by a product, from extraction of raw-materials, to end-of-life.

Source: Carbon Trust (2021)

Climate action commitments

As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target.

Source: We Mean Business (2021)

B+ grade at Behind the Barcode

B+ grade in the Baptist World Aid Australia's Behind the Barcode 'Ethical Electronics Guide 2016', which grades companies on their efforts to mitigate the risks of forced labour, child labour and worker exploitation throughout their supply chains. Assessment criteria fall into four main categories: policies, traceability & transparency, monitoring & training and worker rights. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Baptist World Aid Australia (2016)

Responsible Minerals Initiative member

This company is a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (formerly the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative), which helps companies address conflict minerals issues in their supply chains. The RMI provides information on conflict-free smelters and refiners, common tools to gather sourcing information, and forums for exchanging best practices on addressing conflict minerals. Membership is open to companies that use or transact in tantalum, tin, tungsten or gold (3TG). Founded in 2008 by members of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative.

Source: RMI (2019)

Responsible Business Alliance member

This company is a member of the Responsible Business Alliance (formerly the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition), a non-profit coalition of electronics companies which supports the rights and wellbeing of workers and communities worldwide affected by the global electronics supply chain. RBA members commit and are held accountable to a common Code of Conduct and utilize a range of RBA training and assessment tools to support continuous improvement in the social, environmental and ethical responsibility of their supply chains.

Source: RBA (2022)

Sustainability claims

This company has extensive sustainability claims on its website.

Source: company website (2020)

67.5% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017

This company received a score of 67.5/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.

Source: Newsweek (2017)

US recycling report card

The Electronics TakeBack Coalition's Recycling Report Card evaluates takeback and recycling programs for computer, TV, printer and game console companies. The report card focuses on the programs available to consumers in the US, and relies on publicly available information, as of Sept 2010. This company received a grade of C+ for its recycling efforts in the USA.

Source: Electronics TakeBack Coalition (2010)

Repairability of devices

Engineers from ifixit.com disassembled and analysed a range of smartphones, tablets and laptops, awarding each a repairability score between one and ten. Ten is the easiest to repair. A device with a perfect score will be relatively inexpensive to repair because it is easy to disassemble and has a service manual available. Points are docked based on the difficulty of opening the device, the types of fasteners found inside, and the complexity involved in replacing major components. Points are awarded for upgradability, use of non-proprietary tools for servicing, and component modularity. Products released by this company between 2017 and 2018 scored between 4 and 9 points.

Source: iFixit (2020)

Nuclear power

This company provides products to the nuclear power industry, such as nuclear power plant cooling systems.

Source: Canadian Nuclear Industries (2014)

41.4% in Digital Inclusion Benchmark

The 2023 Digital Inclusion Benchmark ranks 200 companies on their responsibility to advance a more inclusive digital society. The companies were assessed using four measurement areas: access, skills, use and innovation. This company ranked #63/200, with a total score of 41.4/100.

Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2023)

Involvement in Rapu-Rapu mine

This company group is under a boycott call for their involvement in a controversial mining project in Rapu-Rapu, Philippines. Local residents face ecological disasters & their effects: health problems, loss of land & livelihood, and an uncertain future. LG owns 42% of the mine.

Source: Save Rapu-Rapu (2012)

Workers rights in China

This company is a client of Biel Crystal, supplier of 60% of the world's touchscreen cover glasses. This SACOM 2013 investigative report discovered serious labour rights abuses in Biel Crystal's Chinese factories including excessive working hours, military-style management, worker suicides and blank work contracts. Moreover, Biel Crystal's Shenzhen factory has been fined by the Shenzhen municipal government for 3 continuous years of polluting the environment. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: SACOM (2013)

Sustainable Brands member

This company is a Bronze Member of the Sustainable Brands Network, the leading peer to peer, learning and networking group designed to support brands in meeting their sustainability goals and ultimately become those leaders of the next sustainable economy.

Source: Sustainable Brands (2018)

Microbeads scorecard

In 2016 Greenpeace East Asia ranked the world's 30 biggest personal care companies on their commitment to eliminating microbeads from their personal care products. The scorecard was based on four main criteria: commitment & transparency, definition, deadline and global application. This company was ranked as 'getting there'. Microbeads are not retained by wastewater treatment and end up in the ocean where they are a threat to the marine environment.

Source: Greenpeace (2016)

50/100 S&P Global ESG Score

This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 50/100 in the Industrial Conglomerates category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 18 Nov 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.

Source: S&P Global (2022)

Corporate Rap Sheet

The Corporate Research Project's Corporate Rap Sheets are dossiers summarising the most significant crimes, violations and other questionable activities of the world's largest and most controversial companies. Follow link to see this company's Corporate Rap Sheet.

Source: Corporate Research Project (2018)