Environment

The food industry has made big promises to reduce emissions and become more sustainable, but a review concludes that many of the pledges are not backed up by evidence

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The dairy industry’s green claims are under scrutiny

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The world’s biggest meat and dairy companies are flooding the public with promises to tackle global warming, but almost all are greenwashing, a new analysis claims.

Animal agriculture is a major driver of climate change, responsible for at least 16.5 per cent of all global greenhouse gas emissions. In response to scrutiny, the industry has responded with a slew of sustainability pledges.

To evaluate these efforts, Jennifer Jacquet at the University of Miami and her colleagues analysed the most recent sustainability reports and consumer-facing websites of 33 of the world’s largest meat and dairy corporations between 2021 and 2024.…