World’s largest beef producer JBS ends 2040 net-zero goal, marking a significant shift in the company’s climate strategy and raising fresh questions about corporate emissions commitments in the global food industry. JBS, the world’s largest beef and poultry producer, announced in its latest Sustainability Report that it will no longer pursue its target of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its global operations and supply chain by 2040.

Instead, the Brazil-based meat giant will focus on reducing its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, despite the fact that Scope 3 emissions accounted for more than 184 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) in 2025, representing approximately 97% of the company’s total carbon footprint.

Company Shifts Focus to Direct Operational Emissions

The world’s largest beef producer JBS ends 2040 net-zero goal after concluding that measuring and reducing emissions across its vast global agricultural supply chain remains too complex under current conditions.

• According to Global Chief Sustainability Officer Jason Weller, the company is “sharpening its climate goals” rather than abandoning climate action.
• JBS said it will continue working toward reducing emissions generated directly from its facilities, including energy use, fuel consumption, refrigerants, and waste.
• The company now aims to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 30% by 2030 and 70% by 2050, using 2019 as the baseline year.

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Why JBS Dropped the 2040 Net-Zero Goal

Weller explained that achieving net-zero emissions across hundreds of thousands of independent livestock producers operating across dozens of countries proved far more difficult than originally anticipated.

He noted that differences in farming practices, limited emissions measurement systems, inconsistent data collection, and the slow adoption of new technologies have made supply-chain-wide decarbonization extremely challenging.

Because livestock production generates methane emissions from cattle and land-use activities, reducing Scope 3 emissions remains one of the biggest challenges for the global meat industry.

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Legal Scrutiny Over Climate Claims

JBS’s climate commitments have also faced legal challenges.

• In 2024, the New York Attorney General filed a lawsuit alleging the company misled consumers by promoting its environmental commitments while lacking a credible pathway to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.
• The case was settled in November 2025, with JBS agreeing to invest $1.1 million in climate-smart agriculture projects in New York State.
• As part of the settlement, the company also agreed to describe its 2040 target as a “goal” rather than a firm pledge or commitment.

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Wider Implications for the Food Industry

JBS’s decision reflects the growing difficulties many agriculture and food companies face in reducing emissions beyond their direct operations. Since livestock supply chains generate the overwhelming majority of emissions, experts say meaningful climate progress will depend on improved emissions monitoring, low-carbon farming practices, methane reduction technologies, and stronger collaboration with producers.

While JBS maintains that it remains committed to lowering operational emissions, the withdrawal of its 2040 net-zero ambition highlights the practical challenges of decarbonizing one of the world’s most emissions-intensive industries. Environmental groups say the move underscores the need for more transparent, science-based climate strategies as companies balance sustainability goals with operational realities.

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