BT Group - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

BT Group is Medium Risk.

BT Group plc is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. The company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	High Risk
Political Actions	Lower Risk

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

BT is part of the Joint Alliance for Corporate Social Responsibility (JAC), which seeks to “Driv[e] the sustainable transformation of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) supply chain” through implementing corporate social responsibility while “sharing resources and best practice” with other members. JAC members are encouraged to “take all reasonable endeavours to promote and secure compliance” to its Supply Chain Sustainability Guidelines to their suppliers, subcontractors, and employees. These guidelines ask suppliers to incorporate sexual orientation and gender identity into their nondiscrimination policies, adopt products and services that offer “environmental and social benefits”, and minimize Greenhouse Gas emissions by establishing emissions reduction targets, publicly reporting GHG emissions metrics, and engaging sub-suppliers and their sub-suppliers to drive GHG emission reduction (1)(2). The company integrates ESG into its business practices. From its Directors’ Remuneration Policy: ” non-financial performance measures – these reflect key BT Group strategic goals. For example,
such measures may include network, transformation, customer experience and other ESG goals” (3). Also,from its 2025 Carbon Reduction Plan: “We also commit to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions
across our full value chain by the end of March 2041, reducing our absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 90%” (4). The company integrates DEI into its supply chain. From its Supplier Charter: “Suppliers must have in place (and to robustly monitor compliance with and progress against) clear inclusion and diversity policies, programmes and initiatives that accelerate the pace of change for inclusion” (5). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (6).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

BT does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

BT requires its employees to take “Let’s Talk About Race” training (1). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition. From its Board Diversity and Inclusion Policy: “In identifying suitable candidates for appointment to the Board, the Nominations Committee will consider candidates on merit against objective criteria and will aim to promote diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity on the Board” BT appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its business structure through the establishment of gender and racial targets for its leadership composition. The company is seeking “at least 40% women on the Board” and “at least one director from a minority ethnic background” (2). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (3).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

BT is committed to net zero emissions by 2041 (1).
The company supports DEI within its business practices, employing a Diversity & Inclusion Director and hosting an “Ethnic Diversity Network” (2). The company supports DEI within its business practices. From its Diversity and Inclusion webpage: “We recognise that Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) is not just a ‘nice thing to do’, it’s critical to our growth. Our commitment to I&D remains resolute and unwavering” (3). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2025 ESG Addendum: “We prioritise the environmental, social and
governance (ESG) topics that have the most financial impact on our business, along with the topics that have the most impact on society and the environment” (4).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

BT supports LGBTQ+ charities such as Switchboard and FFLAG (1)(2)(3). The company partners with Stonewall (4)(5). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (6).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

BT does not operate a PAC or report on its lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).