U.S. Supermarkets Not Addressing Meat and Dairy Emissions
A new study from the Changing Markets Foundation and Mighty Earth has found that the top 20 global supermarkets (all of which are based in the United States and Europe) are not doing anywhere near enough to tackle significant methane emissions within their supply chains, which are estimated to account for one-third of retailers’ total emissions.
According to the study, which evaluates retailers against such indicators as emissions reporting, food waste and protein alternatives, U.S. retailers performed especially badly, ranking among the bottom 10. In an assessment of their methane reductions across 18 indicators, 19 of the top 20 major food retailers analyzed earned fewer than half of the total points available. The Kroger Co. and Walmart, the highest-ranking U.S. retailers, amassed only 9.5 and 7 points, respectively, out of 100. The average score across all indicators among retailers was 20 out of 100, indicating major room for improvement.
“Supermarket chains are ignoring the methane problem hidden in the meat and dairy aisles and risk losing consumer trust,” noted Gemma Hoskins, global methane lead at Washington, D.C.-based Mighty Earth, a global advocacy organization. “Methane is a superheater greenhouse gas responsible for about a quarter of the heating the planet has already experienced. But it’s short-lived, so rapid cuts would be a win for climate and nature.”
Added Hoskins: “Our analysis shows U.S. stores are barely off the starting line for climate accountability. They need to step up to urgently drive down agricultural methane emissions in their supply chains. That starts with being honest about the impact of the meat and dairy products they sell and working harder and faster to reduce that impact.”
[RELATED: Progressive Grocer’s Impact Awards Honorees Go Above and Beyond ESG Initiatives]
Currently, none of the retailers assessed in the study have a methane reduction target, or report their methane emissions, despite many understanding the impact that these emissions have on heating the planet, according to the study.
Additionally, few of the supermarkets surveyed assess or report on their scope 3 emissions – those generated along supermarket supply chains. The study’s Methane Action Tracker revealed that in the United States, only Costco reported on its scope 3 emissions.
“Methane emissions are a major blind spot for supermarkets,” asserted Maddy Haughton-Boakes, senior campaigner at Utrecht, Netherlands-based Changing Markets, which partners with NGOs on market-focused campaigns, with the goal of driving change toward a more sustainable economy. “Our scorecard reveals a complete lack of action, with the most powerful players in the food supply chains completely ignoring their government’s commitments to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030. This must change urgently.”
Continued Haughton-Boakes: “Some retailers acknowledge the problem and have taken small steps, but none are treating it with the urgency it demands — there are no real leaders here. Cutting methane this decade is our emergency brake on runaway global heating, yet retailers are barely pressing it. The companies that dominate our food system must step up now and take real action to slash their methane emissions.”
One of the key indicators analyzed in the study was the transition to plant-based proteins. According to the analysis, only a few retailers have set measurable targets for boosting alternative-protein sales. Plant-based offerings at U.S. supermarket chains lagged considerably behind European retailers, with limited product offerings and no commitments to increase them. Even within a company, the study found that the level of commitment varied across brands and geographies. Two retailers operating in the United States have made group commitments to grow this market segment: Ahold Delhaize USA and The Schwarz Group, parent company of Lidl US. Further, while Costco and Kroger reference plant-based products or diets to reduce emissions, neither company has established targets to boost sales of such products.
Changing Markets and Mighty Earth are urging retailers to immediately set a target to reduce methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030, in accordance with the Global Methane Pledge, and to publicly report these emissions annually. They advise doing this by developing climate plans to reduce methane from meat and dairy sources, adopting greater public transparency in climate reporting and disclosing methane emissions, setting an ambitious target for absolute methane reductions, and committing to grow plant-based sales with a 60/40 protein split (plant-based versus meat protein).
The organizations looked at the largest 20 global food retailers, all of which are based in the United States and Europe, to gauge the progress this key sector is making in the area of methane emissions reduction. Since no food retailer has set a methane reduction target, the scorecard aimed to assess the companies against 18 select indicators where they may be making some progress in mitigating their methane impact. The retailers were assessed using publicly available data analyzed between Jan. 1-31.
Progressive Grocer has reached out to the U.S. retailers on the scorecard, many of which have publicized their various sustainability efforts over the years, but at press time had as yet received any responses.
