It’s all the rage. Companies rolling out advertising campaigns and plans to reach net zero emissions by such and such a date.
Astonishingly including JBS, the biggest meat company in the world. In March of 2021, JBS pledged to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 through emission reductions in their operations and by offsetting all residual emissions.
Net. Zero. By 2040.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has found that cattle are responsible for 62% of all emissions from animal agriculture. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates a single cow emits as much as 264 pounds of methane gas a year.
Which leads to an obvious conclusion. The more cows ya got, the harder it will be to achieve net zero emissions. And JBS ain’t doing anything to thin the herd.
The Big Meat giant wasted no time in cranking out advertisements claiming:
- “JBS is committing to be net zero by 2040”;
- “Global commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040”;
- “Bacon, chicken wings and steak with net zero emissions”;
- “Leading change across the food industry and achieving our goal of net zero by 2040 will be a challenge. Anything less is not an option.”
It turns out JBS has been long on rhetoric and short on specifics about how this is possible.
JBS’s notions caught the attention of the National Advertising Review Board, which in June of 2023 recommended JBS stop making 2040 net zero claims without a vetted plan that has a likelihood of success.
In response, JBS said it “disagrees with the NAD (National Advertising Division) and NARB’s interpretation of how consumers perceive the challenged claims as well as NARB’s conclusion about the record evidence, but JBS will comply with NARB’s recommendation in published statements and advertising claims going forward.”
Whether JBS has complied is up for discussion. On its website, JBS is currently stating: “Our ambition is to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 across our global operations and diverse supply chain including agricultural producer partners, suppliers and customers.”
JBS touts five initial steps to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions:
- Invest more than $1 billion in upgrading facilities and equipment by 2030.
- Invest $100 million in research and development projects by 2030.
- Reduce emissions in all JBS facilities by 30% by 2030.
- Use 100% renewable electricity by 2040.
- Tie environmental performance to executive compensation to ensure accountability.
Whether or not this constitutes a vetted plan is up for debate. And it’s not out of line to conclude that it’s way short on specifics.
In other words there just ain’t enough meat on them there bones.
New York Attorney General Letitia James thinks the same and has sued JBS, claiming the company is misleading consumers about its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. James noted:
“Even if it had developed a plan to be ‘Net Zero by 2040,’ the JBS Group could not feasibly meet its pledge because there are no proven agricultural practices to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero at the JBS Group’s current scale, and offsetting those emissions would be a costly undertaking of an unprecedented degree. As of 2021, the JBS Group’s estimated annual greenhouse gases were more than those of the entire country of Ireland, and the JBS Group plans to substantially increase its meat production over the coming years.”
Does JBS’s aspirational statements on net zero amount to greenwashing? You might rightly ask if that’s a question for the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC hasn’t updated its Green Guides since 2012, and is in need of a major overhaul to deal with the proliferation of misleading marketing claims. FTC lawsuits are few and far between.
JBS lost $199 million in fiscal 2023 due to what it called market and operational challenges. Last July, JBS revived plans to list the company on the New York Stock Exchange, which since has been widely opposed.
James’ lawsuit is an effort to remind the public that JBS has often run afoul of the law.
Consumers interested in the environment want to support responsible like-minded companies. But we’re drowning in a sea of misinformation, misdirection and lies. That must end.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with aspirational sustainability goals. But there is a vast difference between what a company might hope for and what it can and will actually deliver. Consumers deserve just the facts. Nothing less.
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