Letter to Hyundai from Concerned Civil Society Organizations

A network of global NGOs has written to Hyundai Motor Company's CEO, José Muñoz, alleging systemic failures in the company's supply chain due diligence. The letter cites reports linking Hyundai to coal-based steel production, human rights abuses, and the use of prison and child labor in Alabama. It specifically highlights the impact of supplier Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation in Vietnam and the rising emissions of Hyundai Steel. The organizations request a meeting to discuss transitioning to green hydrogen and renewable energy, and establishing a zero-tolerance policy for violence against human rights defenders.

• Hyundai's global steel supply chain is linked to environmental destruction, human rights abuses, and violations of Indigenous Peoples' land rights and Free, Prior and Informed Consent, driven by a failure to transition away from coal-based steel.
• Hyundai is linked to Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation, which caused a 2016 toxic chemical spill in Vietnam that resulted in mass fish deaths and affected the livelihoods of nearly 44,000 families.
• Hyundai Steel, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, has seen greenhouse gas emissions and the use of coal-fired blast furnaces increase over the last three years, while investing USD 580 million in a new 499 megawatt (MW) gas power plant.
• Suppliers for Hyundai in Alabama have been accused of using child labor and an exploitative system of prison labor, with reports indicating that workers were fired for speaking out about their conditions.

APA

Jones, S. (2025). Letter to Hyundai from Concerned Civil Society Organizations. Mighty Earth. https://mightyearth.org/article/letter-to-hyundai-from-concerned-civil-society-organizations/

Chicago

Jones, Sydney. Letter to Hyundai from Concerned Civil Society Organizations. Mighty Earth, 2025. https://mightyearth.org/article/letter-to-hyundai-from-concerned-civil-society-organizations/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Jones |first1=Sydney |title=Letter to Hyundai from Concerned Civil Society Organizations |publisher=Mighty Earth |date=3 February 2025 |url=https://mightyearth.org/article/letter-to-hyundai-from-concerned-civil-society-organizations/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{jones2025letter, author = {Jones, Sydney}, title = {{Letter to Hyundai from Concerned Civil Society Organizations}}, publisher = {Mighty Earth}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://mightyearth.org/article/letter-to-hyundai-from-concerned-civil-society-organizations/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }