JBS, the world's largest meat company, has abandoned its 2040 net-zero target and will now focus only on Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which make up just 3% of its carbon footprint. Its Scope 3 supply chain emissions exceeded 203 million tons of CO2 equivalent last year. The company cited execution challenges across hundreds of thousands of farms in dozens of countries. The reversal follows a 2024 lawsuit from New York's attorney general alleging misleading advertising. JBS settled in November, paying $1.1 million for climate-smart agriculture and agreeing to call its 2040 target a goal, not a pledge. The company now aims to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions 30% by 2030 and 70% by 2050 from a 2019 baseline. This case highlights the gap between corporate climate pledges and real execution, especially in livestock supply chains. Regulators are increasingly challenging vague sustainability claims, pushing companies to be more precise about what they actually plan to do.
