World’s largest meat group JBS scraps a key climate goal

{"text":[[{"start":6.9,"text":"The world’s largest meat supplier JBS has scrapped a key climate goal that it announced five years ago, joining major polluters that have given up on accounting for the full environmental impact of their business."}],[{"start":20,"text":"The decision by the Brazilian meat group with global operations involves dropping a net zero target that includes greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere by suppliers, which make up the vast bulk of the company’s environmental footprint."}],[{"start":34.5,"text":"JBS justified the move on the grounds of difficulties in controlling these indirect, or so-called Scope 3, emissions generated chiefly by livestock it buys for slaughter from thousands of farmers.It said it would focus on lowering emissions within its own operations, known as Scope 1 and 2 emissions. These account for as little as 3 per cent of the company’s overall output of warming gases, including methane, that contribute to climate change."}],[{"start":59.8,"text":"Jason Weller, chief sustainability officer, said JBS was “not stepping away” from its climate duties. “Bold ambition is fine, but you now need to actually have really good, measurable, accountable goals. And that’s what we’re doing — we’re now setting goals that we believe where we have operational control,” he told the FT."}],[{"start":78.5,"text":"New York-listed JBS made its net zero pledge in 2021 and touted it as the first by a leading company in the meat industry."}],[{"start":87.6,"text":"Livestock accounts for 14.5 per cent of all human-induced emissions, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. Cattle produce methane, a more potent warming gas than carbon dioxide over a shorter period, as part of their digestive process. Various methods have been experimented with livestock feed to deal with these emissions but have remained fragmented and at small scale."}],[{"start":111.44999999999999,"text":"JBS said it would keep a goal to reduce emissions intensity from its core operations by 30 per cent by 2030 from a 2019 baseline. It is then aiming for a 70 per cent reduction by 2050 across its facilities. Emissions intensity is a metric that allows for a rise in absolute emissions as revenue increases."}],[{"start":132.14999999999998,"text":"Weller said the company would also focus on improving agricultural productivity, which could, in turn, help lower emissions. "}],[{"start":139.84999999999997,"text":"The food conglomerate’s decision was attacked by environmental campaign groups which have previously targeted its operations for leading to deforestation in the Amazon jungle. "}],[{"start":151.39999999999998,"text":"“JBS’s supply chain makes it responsible for some of the largest methane emissions on the planet,” said Daniela Montalto, food and forest campaigner at Greenpeace. “So abandoning its responsibility to reduce Scope 3 emissions is unspeakably reckless.”"}],[{"start":167.64999999999998,"text":"Weller said JBS had achieved a goal to eliminate deforestation among direct and “indirect” suppliers in the Amazon, meaning ranchers who sell to the meat processor’s own cattle providers."}],[{"start":179.64999999999998,"text":"The group has been the subject of legal action over accusations of false green marketing claims. It reached a $1.1mn settlement late last year over a lawsuit involving the New York attorney-general, who said the company had misled the public about its carbon reduction efforts and lacked a viable plan to meet its 2040 net zero target."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

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