Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Big meat and dairy firms accused of climate 'greenwash'

Big meat and dairy firms accused of climate 'greenwash'

Greenhouse gas emissions from Europe's biggest meat and dairy firms continue to increase, according to a new report Monday, which found many firms are polluting "with impunity".

The non-profit Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) said many major companies had no climate plans or targets and even among those that do it raised concerns about "greenwashing", calling on governments to step up regulation.The study looked at 35 of the largest beef, pork, poultry and dairy companies headquartered in the EU, UK and Switzerland, examining their possible climate plans and emissions from their supply chains, in particular livestock, a major emitter of greenhouse gases.


According to the analysis, these companies were responsible for seven percent of EU emissions in 2018, while the emissions of the top 20 exceed those of the Netherlands.

"The climate footprint of Europe's big meat and dairy companies rival the fossil fuel giants yet they continue to operate with impunity," said IATP European Director Shefali Sharma.

"The handful of companies that have climate plans rely on accounting tricks, greenwash, and dubious offsets to distract from the fundamental changes needed to cut emissions, while off-loading many of the costs and risks onto farmers in their supply chains."

Seven out of the 10 companies that the report tracked over time saw their climate footprint grow between 2016 and 2018.

The emissions of Irish beef producer ABP surged 45 percent and Germany's Tonnies, which supplies Aldi, 30 percent.

In dairy, French firms Danone and Lactalis saw their emissions climb 15 percent and 30 percent respectively from 2015 to 2017, according to the research.

Of the 20 companies analysed, only four report emissions from their entire supply chain, IATP said, even though livestock production accounts for the lion's share of emissions.

And only three - Nestle, FrieslandCampina and ABP - commit to an overall reduction in livestock emissions.

The IATP was particularly critical of those companies that it said were looking to reduce the emissions per kilo of meat or litre of milk - meaning their overall carbon footprint can grow if they expand production.

It said some firms touted regenerative farming practices aimed at creating healthier soils, but said companies "invest relatively little and off-load the bulk of the cost and risk onto farmers".

Increasing exports also mean consumer behaviour within Europe is only part of the picture, it added.

More for you

Sainsbury’s local convenience store outlets
Image from Sainsbury's media
Image from Sainsbury's media

Sainsbury’s extends Aldi price-match campaign to 800 convenience stores

Supermarket Sainsbury’s has become the first grocer to extend its Aldi price-match campaign to its 800 local convenience store outlets.

In a bold move by its boss to win back market share from the German discounter, Britain’s second-largest supermarket chain today (4) has added price matches on 200 daily staples — including milk, chicken, bread and vegetable oil — in its local convenience stores.

Keep ReadingShow less
Glasgow retailer retires after serving community for 44 years

iStock image

iStock image

Glasgow retailer retires after serving community for 44 years

A convenience store owner in Glasgow has retired and handed over the keys after serving the community for 44 years.

The retiring shopkeeper couple, Abdul Haq and his wife Hameedah, have run Disqu Blu convenience store in Glasgow since 1980.

Keep ReadingShow less
innocent drinks, Co-op team up to donate portions of fruit and veg to charity

innocent drinks, Co-op team up to donate portions of fruit and veg to charity

innocent drinks, Europe’s leading healthy drinks company, is announcing a new partnership with Alexandra Rose Charity as it advances its mission to help people live well through the delicious goodness of fruits and vegetables.

Government statistics reveal that just one third of adults, and 12 per cent of 11–18-year-olds, are managing to get the recommended “Five a Day”. This is even starker for lower-income families, with the most deprived fifth of adults consuming 37 per cent less fruit and veg than the least deprived, and their children 29 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
‘Spooktacular’ store POS drives sales, customer engagement for Nisa retailer NP Group

‘Spooktacular’ store POS drives sales, customer engagement for Nisa retailer NP Group

As the final key retail season of the year approaches, Nisa retailer NP Group is gearing up for Christmas with a renewed focus on store activation and point-of-sale (POS) strategy to drive sales following a successful Halloween.

With seasonal shopping trends in full swing, effective in-store activation and visibility are crucial for smaller retailers to capture customer attention and keep up with larger competitors. Data from Retail Economics shows that UK shoppers spent approximately £10 billion on seasonal products in 2023, with Halloween contributing £650 million alone, marking a steady increase in seasonal shopping over recent years.

Keep ReadingShow less