Researchers analyzing sustainability claims from 33 major meat and dairy companies concluded that 98 percent amount to greenwashing. The review, covering reports and websites from 2021 to 2024, identified 1,233 environmental statements, most lacking evidence. Only three claims were supported by scientific literature.
Jennifer Jacquet at the University of Miami and her colleagues examined the most recent sustainability reports and consumer-facing websites of the world's largest meat and dairy corporations. Animal agriculture accounts for at least 16.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, prompting industry pledges to address climate change. The team classified 98 percent of 1,233 claims as greenwashing—deceptive or misleading, often vague promises without clear plans. More than two-thirds offered no supporting evidence, Jacquet noted: “We’re really trying to understand what is real and what is PR.” Only three were backed by scholarly literature, and 17 of the 33 companies have set net-zero targets relying heavily on carbon offsets rather than emission reductions, similar to practices in the fossil fuel sector. Concrete actions were minimal, such as a regenerative agriculture pilot on just 24 farms—0.0019 percent of one firm's operations—or reducing sausage packaging tape by 3 millimeters. Marco Springmann at the University of Oxford described the claims as “not much more than window dressing.” Pete Smith at the University of Aberdeen, who helped develop the greenwashing framework used, said the findings were unsurprising. Tim Benton at the University of Leeds highlighted industry incentives to over-promise amid market pressures. The study appears in PLoS Climate (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000773).
