Got Methane?

When it comes to climate breakdown, methane is the fast-acting accelerant that almost nobody in power wants to talk about, especially not the corporations profiting from animal use. While world leaders mouth empty pledges about staying below 1.5°C, the dairy industry is busy pumping out one of the most potent greenhouse gases we know of, then denying, distracting, or outright ignoring their role in it.

According to new analysis by the Changing Markets Foundation, some of the biggest names in dairy and retail, including Nestlé, Arla, Starbucks, and Danone, are doing next to nothing to tackle methane emissions. Despite accounting for 32% of global methane output, the animal agriculture industry continues to receive a free pass, protected by PR, voluntary schemes, and an almost religious commitment to business as usual.

Methane doesn’t hang around. It’s about 80 times more powerful than CO₂ over a 20-year period, but it breaks down faster. Which means if we wanted to make a dent in the climate emergency quickly, methane would be the target. And yet the companies sitting on this “rare lever” for change are actively avoiding it. Out of 20 major dairy producers and coffee chains surveyed, worth a combined $420 billion, only one (Danone) has set a target specifically for methane. One.

Nestlé is notable for at least saying people should consume less dairy, yet still hasn’t committed to reducing its own sales. Starbucks? Their biggest source of emissions in the US is dairy, and they still charge extra for plant-based milks. Dunkin’ scored a perfect zero for its methane denialism. And the UK’s own Froneri refused to even acknowledge livestock as a climate issue.

Almost every company surveyed said methane is a problem, but just two claimed to have actually reduced emissions. Not one has pledged to sell less dairy. Instead, they lean on technical tweaks, like feed additives and biogas, to give the illusion of progress, while continuing to breed and exploit animals on an industrial scale. These are not climate solutions. They are delay tactics.

This collective cowardice is especially telling considering these companies helped launch the Dairy Methane Action Alliance (DMAA) at COP28, a supposed industry initiative to deal with emissions. But when researchers compared DMAA members to non-members, the difference was marginal. Only three of the eight members have published methane targets of any kind. A PR stunt disguised as progress.

Even those who monitor emissions don’t want to share the results. Only six of the 20 companies even track their methane output directly. Just four of them make those figures public. This is what transparency looks like in an industry built on secrecy and control.

The report makes one thing clear: voluntary action has failed. Fine words and vague climate targets aren’t reducing emissions, they’re buying time for a dying system to keep profiting. As Changing Markets CEO Nusa Urbancic puts it, “Governments must finally grab the bull by the horns and set science-based methane cuts for the agricultural sector.” But they won’t, because powerful meat and dairy lobbies are actively sabotaging efforts to regulate methane in both the US and the EU. These corporations are pouring more money into public relations than actual solutions.

It’s not just climate damage. It’s calculated deception. And the dairy industry’s hands are covered in it, from stolen milk and dead calves to a warming planet and a misinformed public. They’ve sold us the lie of “sustainable dairy” while refusing to make even the most basic changes to their operations.

The truth is simple: dairy production is one of the most effective levers we have to cut methane, and the people in charge won’t touch it. Why? Because they’d rather destroy the planet than give up profit.

If you're serious about climate justice, start by rejecting dairy. Then demand that governments stop shielding the industry from scrutiny. Don’t get distracted by emissions from transport or recycling tips from billionaires. Methane from animal farming is the fire. It's burning now. And it’s being fuelled by every latte, yoghurt, and cheese sandwich sold under the illusion of normality.

We don’t need better dairy. We need to stop using animals. This isn’t about targets. It’s about truth. And the truth is: silence on methane is complicity.