C&A - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

C&A is Lower Risk.

C&A is Lower Risk. The company does not yield to political activism in shaping corporate governance, preventing initiatives that potentially alienate consumers, divide employees, and harm shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. Overall, the company does not embrace corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues. This approach protects 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	Medium Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	No Data

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:

C&A places an emphasis on enviromental sustainability and notes that a “failure to [give] evidence [of] sufficient environmental management processes or provide environmental data when requested may result in the termination of contracts or the exclusion of individual production units from our supply chain” (1). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (2).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

C&A 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:

C&A appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its hiring and leadership composition. From its DEI report: “We know we are a fair reflection of our diverse society when 55% of our senior leaders are women and non-binary people, and 45% are men, of which in each group at least 55% from underrepresented identities. The latter includes people of African, Asian and South American descent in Europe, people with disabilities, gay, bisexual and trans people and older adults” (1). The company also offers employee training that includes DEI training: “We empowered over 500 top leaders in the company through an advanced training program that included social and self-led learning in diversity, equity and inclusive leadership” (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:

Medium

Rationale:

C&A “formerly signed the UN Standards on Tackling Discrimination against LGBTI+ people” and “joined the Open for Business Coalition that promotes the business case for inclusion and counters the spread of anti-LGBTI+ policies globally” (1). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using its reputation to advance ideological causes or policies (2).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

C&A has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

C&A does not operate a PAC or engage in lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).