CEO Note: Why JBS backing off net-zero is progress

Mighty Earth's CEO asserts that JBS's decision to drop its 2040 net-zero target exposes the company's lack of a credible climate plan. The author claims the original target was deceptive, focusing only on Scope 1 and 2 emissions while JBS continued to drive large-scale deforestation and expand cattle slaughter in Brazil and Nigeria. The document calls for continued pressure from investors and governments to push JBS toward large-scale solutions like regenerative practices and animal-free protein.

• JBS's 2040 net-zero commitment is characterized as a greenwashing effort because it only addressed Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which represent a small fraction of the company's total climate impact.
• JBS has expanded its environmental impact by increasing cattle slaughter in Brazil by 30 percent between 2021 and 2025 and planning a $6 billion investment to develop cattle ranching across 4,600 square miles in Nigeria.
• The company has faced legal challenges regarding its deceptive marketing and greenwashing, including a settlement with New York State and ongoing lawsuits in Washington DC and the Netherlands.
• Mighty Earth advocates for JBS to adopt specific large-scale solutions to reduce its footprint, including utilizing 1.6 billion acres of degraded land in Latin America, implementing regenerative practices across the Americas, and scaling animal-free protein.

APA

Hurowitz, G. (2026). CEO Note: Why JBS backing off net-zero is progress. Mighty Earth. https://mightyearth.org/article/ceo-note-why-jbs-backing-off-net-zero-is-progress/

Chicago

Hurowitz, Glenn. CEO Note: Why JBS backing off net-zero is progress. Mighty Earth, 2026. https://mightyearth.org/article/ceo-note-why-jbs-backing-off-net-zero-is-progress/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Hurowitz |first1=Glenn |title=CEO Note: Why JBS backing off net-zero is progress |publisher=Mighty Earth |date=7 August 2026 |url=https://mightyearth.org/article/ceo-note-why-jbs-backing-off-net-zero-is-progress/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{hurowitz2026ceo, author = {Hurowitz, Glenn}, title = {{CEO Note: Why JBS backing off net-zero is progress}}, publisher = {Mighty Earth}, year = {2026}, month = aug, url = {https://mightyearth.org/article/ceo-note-why-jbs-backing-off-net-zero-is-progress/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }