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Diving overview:
- JBS USA, the U.S. subsidiary of the world’s largest beef and poultry producer, will invest $1.1 million in climate-smart agriculture for New York farmers, settling a lawsuit alleging the company’s net-zero claims were misleading. New York Attorney General Letitia James made the announcement. monday.
- below agreementJBS agreed to set its 2040 net-zero target as a “goal” rather than a “promise” or “pledge.” Now company site Goals are called ‘ambitions’.” It will also define all steps the company takes when issuing consumer-facing statements that the company is “taking practical action” or similar language under the contract.
- james A lawsuit was filed against JBS. In February 2024, it was claimed that the company was misleading consumers about its efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. New York AG argued in the lawsuit that the meatpacker does not have a “viable plan” to meet its 2040 net zero goal.
Dive Insights:
JBS filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in May 2024, and the New York State Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit in January and granted James permission to refile the lawsuit. James’ office issued an investigative subpoena to JBS USA in February following the firing, and Monday’s agreement says the AG will now accept relief and assurances from the contract in lieu of filing an amended complaint.
The agreement directs JBS USA, as approved by JBS and the Cornell Donation Acceptance Committee, to provide $1.1 million to the New York Soil Health Resilience Program in Cornell University’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences to support “climate-smart agriculture.” The agreement also says the endowment must agree that Cornell and the attorney general’s office will have an AG representative on the soil health resilience program’s steering or advisory committee.
“New Yorkers have the right to know the truth about the environmental impacts of the products they purchase,” James said in a press release. “JBS USA has made sweeping commitments to its parent company’s climate impacts, despite the company having no actual plan to back up those commitments.”
JBS USA made a “commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040” in March 2021 and communicated that intention to the Science-Based Targets Initiative, which validates the company’s goals. But the AG’s office found that the company did not develop a detailed plan to achieve that goal or evaluate its economic feasibility before making it public, according to the agreement.
The AG’s investigation found that JBS and SBTi were unable to finally agree on the methodology and standards associated with the process, and when SBTi denied JBS’ request for an extension, the meat processor withdrew the verification process. Under the agreement, JBS USA did not acknowledge or deny the findings.
In addition to adjusting how it communicates its 2040 goals, JBS will be required to review consumer-facing statements and documents related to the goals annually for three years. The contract states that the company must share those reports with the Attorney General’s Office.
