Blindspot: How lack of action on livestock methane undermines climate targets

The report identifies a critical 'blind spot' in climate policy regarding livestock methane, finding that neither the largest producing nations nor the biggest meat and dairy companies have set targets aligned with the 45% reduction required by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C. While some countries report emissions, most lack concrete action plans to transform food production and consumption. Similarly, an analysis of 20 global meat and dairy giants revealed poor performance, with none reporting methane emissions separately or establishing specific methane reduction targets.

• Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 86 times greater than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, but it has a short climate response time of only 12 years, making its reduction a vital stopgap for the transition to zero emission societies.
• Enteric fermentation and manure management in the livestock sector are estimated to account for more than 30% of all human-induced methane emissions.
• An analysis of 18 major meat and dairy producing countries found that none have established overall methane reduction targets consistent with the 45% reduction needed by 2030 to keep global warming below 1.5°C. Only New Zealand and Uruguay have set specific livestock methane targets, but these are described as weak, with New Zealand targeting a 10% reduction and Uruguay focusing on emission intensity.
• The Global Methane Pledge, launched by the EU and US, aims to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030, but it is criticized for focusing on technical measures for farmers rather than systemic reductions in livestock numbers through dietary shifts.
• A performance assessment of 20 of the largest global meat and dairy companies showed a systemic lack of commitment to methane reduction. None of the companies report methane emissions separately or have concrete targets to reduce them. Nestlé was the highest scorer at 34.6%, while Groupe Bigard scored 0%.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2021). Blindspot: How lack of action on livestock methane undermines climate targets. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Blindspot-methane_English_summary.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Blindspot: How lack of action on livestock methane undermines climate targets. 2021. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Blindspot-methane_English_summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Blindspot: How lack of action on livestock methane undermines climate targets |date=October 2021 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Blindspot-methane_English_summary.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2021blindspot, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Blindspot: How lack of action on livestock methane undermines climate targets}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Blindspot-methane_English_summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }