Methane emissions from 15 of world's biggest meat and dairy firms exceed individual countries

Beef and dairy cattle are among the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, with cows mainly generating methane through digestion and waste.

The combined methane emissions from the 15 of the world's biggest meat and dairy firms such as Nestlé and Danone exceed those of countries like Russia, Canada, Australia, or Germany.

That is according to a study from sustainable production organisations, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and the Changing Markets Foundation, which unveiled the findings as negotiations intensified at the Cop27 climate change summit in Egypt.

The analysis claimed methane from 15 firms including Nestlé, Danone, Danish Crown, Saputo, and the Dairy Farmers of America "rival that of the EU (83%) and Russia (115%) and far exceed Canada (377%), Australia (355%) and Germany (705%)".

Together, they are responsible for 3.4% of global methane emissions from human activity, the organisations claimed.

It added methane emissions of Brazilian meat company JBS exceed the combined livestock methane emissions of France, Germany, Canada and New Zealand, while the methane footprint of the US multinational Tyson Foods, is comparable to Russia’s livestock. 

Methane from the New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra is comparable to Ireland’s livestock, it said.

When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions overall, the firms' output is greater than Germany, the world’s fourth biggest economy, and exceed those of oil and gas giants such as ExxonMobil, BP, and Shell, the analysis claimed.

European director for the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Shefali Sharma, said: 

The methane emissions of the big meat and dairy companies rival those of nation states, yet they hide their colossal climate footprint behind a veneer of greenwash and net zero targets. 

"These companies won’t do what is needed voluntarily — governments must set rules to regulate their emissions and support farmers to transition away from industrial agriculture.”

A Global Methane Pledge was launched at Cop26 in Glasgow last year aimed at reducing methane, with 130 countries committing to a 30% cut in global methane emissions by 2030.

Beef and dairy cattle are among the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, with cows mainly generating methane through digestion and waste.

Ireland's methane conundrum led to a political tussle on reduction targets for the so-called carbon budgets, as negotiations came down to the wire.

Agriculture remains by far the largest contributor to overall emissions in Ireland, at 37.5% of the total, according to Environmental Protection Agency data in July.