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To investigate and visualise the issue of leakages further, Changing Markets Foundation and Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) inspected two biogas plants in Denmark, which both have connections to the country’s biggest dairy cooperative, Arla. Working with a thermo-imaging expert, the team used industry-standard inspection instruments.

Our findings reinforce existing evidence of the systemic risks posed by methane leakages in biogas production. By providing visual documentation, we were able to reveal what is typically hidden and enhance understanding of the potential significant climate impact of methane emissions from agriculture.

New analysis finds twenty of the world’s biggest food retailers fail to get to grips with massive methane emissions in their supply chains, despite meat and dairy making up an estimated one third of their total emissions. In an assessment of their methane reductions across 18 indicators, 19 of the top 20 major food retailers analysed secured less than half of the total points available. Only Tesco scraped past the halfway mark with a ‘top’ score of 51/100.

As the world’s fifth largest dairy producer, Arla has been selling a dairy fairytale of sustainability to continue to escape climate sanctions while prioritising false solutions that further industrialisation. However, the green mirage has begun to crack; while Arla celebrates its own sustainability efforts, the company’s climate work has been criticised for everything from lacking ambition and transparency to being pure greenwashing.

Big Meat and Dairy companies are deploying ‘narratives’ in advertising, PR campaigns, and lobbying that paint the industry as greener than it really is and frame the stakes as too high to change. Like many planet- and people-harming industries, an array of tactics to protect their businesses in the face of growing scrutiny over their climate impact.

This report reveals the tactics of Big Meat and Dairy companies to delay, distract, and derail action on transforming the food system, mirroring strategies used by the tobacco and fossil fuel industries.

Addressing methane emissions is essential to limiting the impacts of the climate crisis. However, the animal farming industry is promoting a new metric for measuring methane emissions, that could undermine these efforts.

This report looked at the climate, environmental and health impacts of overconsumption of meat and animal products, current market trends and public policies in this area.