A recent study published by researchers at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona highlights Glencore as one of the 100 most conflictive corporations responsible for 20% of global environmental conflicts. The study links the company's activities to severe social and ecological harms in the Global South, including land dispossession, forced displacement, and adverse impacts on vulnerable communities.

Multiple reports have alleged that Glencore's mining operations in Peru and Colombia are responsible for significant environmental damage and human rights abuses, including forced displacement of indigenous communities, lack of prior consultation, and contamination of water sources. The financing of these operations by major European banks further complicates their ethical credentials.

Glencore is lobbying the Queensland government to amend environmental legislation in order to preempt legal challenges to its carbon capture and storage project. The proposal includes measures that could force landholders to host infrastructure such as pipelines, raising concerns about regulatory capture and undermining judicial oversight.

Glencore's official web page on Lobbying outlines its commitment to responsible political engagement by maintaining transparency, clear disclosure, and adherence to ethical guidelines in its interactions with government representatives and industry organizations.

Glencore pleaded guilty to multiple bribery charges and market manipulation across several jurisdictions, including the US, UK, and Brazil, and has agreed to pay penalties totaling $1.5 billion. The case highlights extensive unethical business practices involving bribes to secure preferential access to oil in countries such as Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and others.

The CFTC issued an order against Glencore for engaging in manipulative and deceptive conduct over a period spanning from at least 2007 to 2018, including market manipulation, fraud, bribery, and corruption in oil benchmarks, resulting in a penalty of $1.186 billion.

Glencore pleaded guilty to engaging in a longstanding scheme of foreign bribery and market manipulation, resulting in over $1.1 billion in penalties. The resolution of FCPA and market manipulation cases underscores deep-seated issues of corporate corruption and compromised executive decision‐making.

An NGO report presented to the UN Human Rights Council alleges that Glencore systematically violates workers' rights across its global operations. The report details issues including substandard safety equipment, inadequate living conditions, and the casualisation of the workforce in countries such as Bolivia, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.