Dairy giants failing to address methane emissions, stock

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Sustainability / Environment

Analysis Finds Dairy & Coffee Giants Are Turning a Blind Eye to Methane Emissions

A new analysis by the Changing Markets Foundation has found that some of the world’s biggest makers and users of dairy products are failing to address their methane emissions. 20 major dairy producers and coffee house chains were scored on their methane reduction goals, action plans, accounting, and reporting. Of these, 17 acknowledged that methane or livestock is a climate problem; the exceptions were Dunkin’, Starbucks, and the UK dairy company Froneri. However, only two firms — Nestlé and Danone — claim to have reduced their methane emissions. Most do not have clear methane-related targets, action plans, or even transparency on emissions. Furthermore, none have pledged to reduce their dairy product sales. 18 out of the 20 companies scored less than half the available points, …

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Sustainability / Environment

“Ignoring the Methane Problem”: World’s Biggest Food Retailers Fail to Address Meat & Dairy Emissions

A new analysis by the Changing Markets Foundation and Mighty Earth has found that major supermarkets worldwide are failing to cut down on methane emissions from meat and dairy. The study found that none of the top 20 food retailers globally — including Ahold Delhaize, Carrefour, Lidl, Tesco, and Walmart — report on their methane emissions or have set methane emissions reduction targets. When their progress was measured against the Methane Action Tracker, which takes into account 18 factors, 19 out of 20 retailers scored less than 50% of the points available. UK supermarket Tesco was the only exception, achieving 51% compared to the average score of just 20%. US retailers performed particularly poorly, and were said to display “a stark lack of climate accountability …

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Agriculture / Agribusiness

Report Says Replacing Meat With Plants Could Slash UK Agricultural Methane Emissions

Independent think tank Green Alliance has published a report outlining how the UK could cut methane emissions by 42% by the end of the decade. This figure is considerably more than the 30% commitment made by the UK and other countries at last year’s COP26 summit. Achieving it would partially depend on replacing meat and dairy products with more sustainable alternatives such as plant proteins, a move that could reduce agricultural methane emissions by 8%. Shifting towards a healthier dietary pattern, with less protein and more fresh produce, would lead to a further 8% cut. The report also outlines other ways of cutting methane production in the areas of agriculture, energy, and waste. A drastic reduction is vital, since methane has 80 times more warming …

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