Carling

How ethical is Carling?

Carling is a brand of alcoholic drinks which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Beer, Lager & Cider Ratings Table. Although Carling has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Carling if it applied for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement.

Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Ethical Beer, Lager & Cider sector.

What does Carling do?

Carling is a brand of lager based in Burton-On-Trent in the UK. The Carling Brewery was founded in 1840 in Canada and was first sold in the UK in 1952.

In which areas does Carling perform poorly?

Carling was marked down under our criteria for GM as parent company, Molson Coors, has a GMO statement on its website confirming the use of GMOs in some markets. It also gets a bottom score for Organic and Vegetarian due to a lack of certification.

Carling is given a bottom rating for Animal Welfare as Molson Coors confirms that it does test on animals when required to by law. It also gets a bottom score for Political Donations as Molson Coors donated above our threshold amount in recent election cycles.

Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Carling’s record

As You Sow recently graded Molson Coors a D+ in its Corporate Plastic Pollution Scorecard for its contribution to plastic packaging pollution.

In which areas does Carling score well for its ethics?

Carling scores well for its Environmental Report as Molson Coors’ People & Planet Goals section includes targets for 2025 including water, carbon emissions and packaging.

We found no criticisms of Carling relating to; Nuclear, Fossil Fuels or Armaments,  therefore the brand scores well for these criteria. Find out more about how we rate.

How can Carling improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Carling is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Beer, Lager & Cider Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Carling has some issues to resolve, including its use of GMOs. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Carling some guidance to improve on these areas.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our Ethical Mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.