RE: Meat and dairy industries methane emissions

The document is a formal letter to the CEO of Lactalis Group calling for urgent action to reduce methane emissions. It cites research showing that 15 major meat and dairy companies emit roughly 12.8 million tonnes of methane, representing over 80% of the European Union's methane footprint. The authors highlight that Lactalis' methane emissions are estimated at 0.5 million tonnes and criticize the company for not reporting methane emissions separately. The letter recommends that the company set absolute emissions reduction targets aligned with a 1.5°C limit, disclose Scope 3 emissions, reduce animal numbers in supply chains, and align lobbying efforts with global climate goals.

• A study of 15 of the largest meat and dairy companies found their combined methane emissions are approximately 12.8 million tonnes, which is more than 80% of the European Union's total methane footprint. These emissions account for 11.1% of livestock-related methane globally and 3.4% of all anthropogenic methane emissions worldwide.
• The total greenhouse gas emissions for the 15 companies studied are estimated at 734 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, a figure that exceeds the total emissions of Germany.
• There is a systemic lack of transparency among the studied companies; none disclose methane emissions from their supply chains, and only nine of the 15 companies report any level of overall greenhouse gas emissions.
• Lactalis' methane emissions are estimated at 0.5 million tonnes, which constitutes 47% of its overall GHG emissions when using GWP100 factors, or 72% when using GWP20 factors. The company currently reports combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions but does not provide separate data for methane.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2022). RE: Meat and dairy industries methane emissions. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Methane-Emissions_Letter-to-Lactalis-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-Lactalis-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-Lactalis-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-Lactalis-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }