98 Percent of Meat and Dairy Companies’ Climate Pledges Branded ‘Greenwashing’
April 23, 2026 | Source: New Food Magazine | by Ben Cornwell
Almost all climate pledges made by the world’s largest meat and dairy companies could amount to “greenwashing”, according to new research analysing more than 1,200 sustainability claims across the sector.
The study, published on 22 April 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS Climate, found that 98 percent of environmental claims from leading meat and dairy companies relied on misleading or unverifiable pledges rather than clear evidence of emissions reduction strategies.
Researchers analysed 1,233 environmental claims from 33 of the world’s largest meat and dairy companies, taken from publicly available sustainability reports and corporate websites between 2021 and 2024. Using a greenwashing assessment framework, the study concluded that 1,213 claims could be categorised as greenwashing.