Retailers reveal methane ‘blind spot’ while dairy companies move ahead – new analysis 

• A new ranking by the Changing Markets Foundation finds signs of momentum in the dairy sector.

• Rankings show importance of collective action: members of Dairy and Methane Action Alliance now average 61.4%, up from 45.9% since May 2026, compared to just 22.3% for non-members, down from 23.5%.

• Retailers still lagging behind – analysis reveals leadership vacuum with not a single retailer taking action on methane at a group level.

Dairy and coffee companies that sign up to collective methane commitments score far higher on methane action than those who don’t, according to the fourth edition of the Methane Action Tracker from the Changing Markets Foundation. But there remains a blind spot amongst retailers: none of the 20 assessed has taken any action on livestock methane despite 13 recognising its effect on climate change. 

Methane is responsible for roughly a third of current global warming, and cutting it is the fastest lever available to slow temperature rise. At 42%, agriculture is the largest human source, with livestock the biggest contributor within it.

Collective action is showing results

Dairy Methane Action Alliance (DMAA) members are the top performers amongst dairy and coffee companies. Bel Group (80%) has overtaken Danone to top the rankings, moving from 4th to 1st. Danone (79.5%) has fallen to second place, while Nestle, which left DMAA in October 2025, has fallen from 6th place to 9th place.

DMAA members scored an average of 61.4%, up from 45.9% in the last edition. Non-members scored just 22.3%, a slight decrease from 23.5%. The biggest gains came from new joiners: Agropur rose from 15% to 61%, while Idaho Milk Products (37% to 60%) and Savencia (22% to 60%) both saw significant improvements.

But few are going far enough

Fourteen of the 23 companies now have a livestock methane action plan, up from ten since our last report. Yet only two, Danone and Groupe Bel, have set reduction targets aligned with the Global Methane Pledge – a reduction of 30% compared to 2020 levels. Danone, which regards methane cuts as “the most immediate opportunity” to slow warming, has reduced emissions by 29.8% against 2020 levels, showing what is achievable. By contrast, Costa, Dairy Farmers of America, Müller, Tim Horton’s and Dunkin lack any basic methane reporting or meaningful commitments, and 13 of the 23 companies, including Arla, Unilever and Kraft Heinz still do not report livestock emissions in any format.

Retailers remain the missing link

Retailers shape the demand that drives dairy and meat production, and have leverage to shift supply chains towards lower methane options. But methane remains a significant blind spot: not one of the 20 assessed reports methane or has a reduction target, and seven, including Casino, Walmart and Mercadona, do not even recognise methane as an issue. Tesco and Lidl rank joint first, at 43.5%. Sainsbury’s and Intermarché were the biggest movers, up just 7 and 8 percentage points respectively. US retailers trail their European counterparts, with none improving since the last edition. 

Reporting will soon be a legal and financial issue

The EU’s revised Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive was adopted earlier this year. From 2027, Member States must bring into force laws and regulations to comply, and in 2028 large food companies will be under closer regulatory and investor scrutiny of their emissions. Those with robust climate disclosures systems already in place will be better placed to meet it. Those without will face increased investor scrutiny of corporate reporting and transition planning. Failure to act on methane is already starting to become an investment risk: earlier this year, Railpen, one of the largest corporate pension funds, sold its stake in Nestle over the company’s inadequate transition planning and decision to exit DMAA.

Maddy Haughton-Boakes, Campaign Manager at Changing Markets said: “Our rankings show that while progress has been made since our last report in May, there are huge gaps in methane action and reporting. There is a real leadership vacuum amongst retailers, none of which even report methane emissions.  

Targets, reporting and accountability are not a box-ticking exercise: they deliver results. Frontrunners Bel Group and Danone prove what can be done, and DMAA members outperform non-members by roughly 3 to 1. Beyond the broader climate responsibility, companies with an eye on the future know reporting and acting on methane is a way of managing climate risk before it hits your balance sheet. The rest of the sector needs to follow suit”.