Dairy firms ‘turning blind eye’ to international methane emissions, file suggests

Big dairy firms are “turning a blind eye” to climate-damaging methane emissions, an overview of the trade’s efficiency has discovered.

Animal agriculture accounts for 32% of world emissions of methane, a greenhouse fuel about 80 instances stronger than carbon dioxide over a 20-year length, with the breeding of farm animals for milk and meat a key motive force.

Methane has been assessed as accountable for almost part the entire international temperature upward push since 1750. But since it’s short-lived within the environment when put next with carbon dioxide, cuts to emissions were known as an pressing transfer in tackling weather breakdown.

However, an overview of 20 main dairy and occasional store chains – with blended revenues exceeding $420bn (£323bn), nearly part the worth of the estimated measurement of the worldwide dairy trade – discovered maximum lack transparent methane relief objectives, credible motion plans and even elementary transparency on emissions.

The meals merchandise company Danone got here best in a league desk compiled through researchers, being the one corporate to have a methane-specific goal. The US-based corporate General Mills got here in 2nd position, having revealed a weather goal however no longer one particular to methane. Nestlé and Arla got here 3rd, with Nestlé the one corporate to have explicitly supported decreasing dairy intake.

Of the firms assessed, most effective Nestlé and Danone claimed to have in fact reduce emissions, regardless of all however two having affirmed methane and farm animals pose a danger to the weather.

“Dairy production is a rare lever to control methane emissions, but one that firms clearly don’t want to touch,” mentioned Nusa Urbancic, the manager govt of Changing Markets, which performed the analysis.

“The near-total absence of methane-specific targets and credible action plans sends a clear signal: companies are turning a blind eye to emissions of one of the most potent and solvable drivers of global heating.”

Companies within the overview integrated the most important dairy firms in Europe and North America through annual earnings, the 5 biggest espresso chains in Europe and North America, and all 8 contributors of the Dairy Methane Action Alliance (DMAA), an trade initiative.

Urbancic added: “Our audit shows that fine words from businesses and a few voluntary actions are little more than hot air. Governments must finally grab the bull by the horns and set science-based methane cuts for the agricultural sector.

“All eyes are on European governments, given its leadership on the global methane pledge and upcoming legislation in this area.”

An Arla spokesperson mentioned: “Alongside our farmer owners, Arla is committed to producing more sustainable dairy and has clear science-based targets in place.”

Danone, General Mills and Nestlé were contacted for remark.