RE: Meat and dairy industries methane emissions

The Changing Markets Foundation and partner organisations call on Arla Foods to address its methane emissions, estimating the company's methane output at 0.3 million tonnes. The letter highlights a systemic lack of transparency in the meat and dairy sector, noting that 15 major companies produce methane emissions equivalent to over 80% of the European Union's total methane footprint. The authors recommend that Arla set absolute emissions reduction targets aligned with a 1.5°C limit, report methane emissions separately from overall GHG emissions, reduce animal numbers in supply chains, and align lobbying efforts with global climate goals.

• A study of 15 major meat and dairy companies found their combined methane emissions are approximately 12.8 million tonnes, representing more than 80% of the European Union's total methane footprint, 3.4% of global anthropogenic methane emissions, and 11.1% of livestock-related methane worldwide.
• There is a critical lack of transparency in the industry; none of the 15 companies examined disclose methane emissions from their supply chains, and only nine of the 15 report any level of overall greenhouse gas emissions.
• Arla's methane emissions are estimated at 0.3 million tonnes, which constitutes 47% of its overall GHG emissions (18.9 mt CO2e) when using GWP100 factors, or 72% when using GWP20 factors.
• To limit global heating to 1.5°C, methane emissions must be reduced by 40-45% within the current decade.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2022). RE: Meat and dairy industries methane emissions. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Methane-Emissions_Letter-to-Arla-2.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. RE: Meat and dairy industries methane emissions. 2022. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Methane-Emissions_Letter-to-Arla-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=RE: Meat and dairy industries methane emissions |date=14 December 2022 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Methane-Emissions_Letter-to-Arla-2.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{changingmarketsfoundation2022meat, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{RE: Meat and dairy industries methane emissions}}, publisher = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2022}, month = dec, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Methane-Emissions_Letter-to-Arla-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }