Study: 98% of Meat Industry Climate Claims Unsupported

A study published in PLOS Climate on April 19, 2026, analyzed climate-related claims made by major livestock and animal agriculture companies. The research reviewed 1,233 claims from company websites and sustainability reports, finding that only 356 provided supporting evidence and five were backed by scholarly research.

Authors determined that 98 percent of the claims could be classified as greenwashing based on an empirical assessment framework. The study focused on 33 of the world's largest animal agriculture companies, down from 35 in a prior analysis due to one acquisition and lack of English-language reports for another.

Seventeen companies have made net-zero pledges since a 2021 study, but none provided clear pathways to achieve them, according to the researchers.

agriculture accounts for at least 16.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the study. Researchers and climate policy experts have recommended reducing meat consumption, particularly in developed countries with higher per capita intake.

Nutrition guidance in several countries advises lower meat consumption for health and environmental reasons, though similar efforts in the United States have not succeeded. The study notes that achieving global emission reduction targets requires significant cuts in livestock consumption, even with reductions in fossil fuel use.

Companies have announced measures such as reducing truck idling time, cutting paper usage at facilities, improving animal breeding efficiency, and using methane-reducing feed. However, the authors stated these steps represent minor improvements relative to the net-zero targets.

Actions JBS, described as the world's largest meat company, placed a full-page ad in The New York Times in 2021 stating that net-zero emissions for products like bacon, chicken wings, and steak were possible. In 2019, JBS stated it bore no responsibility for supply chain emissions, but in 2021, it pledged net-zero by 2040.