NGO Changing Markets finds that some of the world’s biggest makers and users of dairy products are failing to cut emissions of the climate-critical gas methane. 

This report by Changing Markets argues that dairy company Arla is hiding its true emissions through lobbying, greenwashing and creative emissions calculations to preserve its reputation and increase profits. It reports 96% of Arla's emissions are down to methane, surpassing emissions of countries like the Netherlands. 

This report from Greenpeace finds that the meat and dairy industry would add 0.32 degrees of additional global warming from 2015 to 2050, with methane responsible for three quarters of this. Scientists predict that each 0.3°C warming we prevent by the end of the century could reduce exposure to extreme heat for 410 million people. 

This study finds methane emissions from slurry stores on dairy farms may be up to five times greater than official statistics suggest. It also claims there is huge potential for turning them into a renewable energy source. The study shows that if captured and turned into biogas, emitted methane could be valuable.

Former officials at the FAO have revealed a history of corporate lobbying from the livestock sector, undermining the integrity of the FAO’s reporting on emissions from cattle and their contribution to rising global temperatures. Former officials detail how they were censored, sabotaged, undermined and victimised for more than a decade.

This book explores the ethical, environmental and social issues linked to different forms of dairy production around the world, including smallholder production and intensive feedlots. It also discusses the shift towards plant-based substitutes for dairy.

The five largest meat companies and ten largest dairy companies have combined methane emissions of over 80% of the European Union’s methane footprint, according to this report by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and the Changing Markets Foundation. The report recommends that governments set legally binding GHG and methane-specific reduction targets for the agriculture sector, with the aim to keep climate warming to less than 1.5°C.

A recording of the event “No More Omissions: Real Policy Action on Land Use, Animal Agriculture & GHGs–with a Focus on Methane” is now available. The event was held on 11 November 2022 at the COP27 Food4Climate Pavilion, organised by Brighter Green and the Global Forest Coalition.

The New Zealand government has announced proposals to introduce farm-level taxes for agricultural emissions, with the aim of incentivising farmers to adopt climate mitigation measures. The plans involve pricing long-lived greenhouse gases and biogenic methane separately; farmers who meet certain thresholds for livestock numbers or fertiliser use will pay a bill that depends on their farm areas, livestock numbers and production, and nitrogen fertiliser use; incentive payments (funded by the tax) will be made to farmers who adopt a range of emissions reduction measures; additional payments will be made to farmers who sequester carbon through managing indigenous vegetation. A consultation on the proposals is open until 18 November 2022.