The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2024
JBS said 'Net Zero by 2040' while emitting more carbon than Italy
JBS, the world's largest meat company, pledged net-zero by 2040. Its emissions were 421M tonnes — larger than Italy's. New York's AG sued for false advertising.
JBS S.A.
What happened
JBS, the world's largest meat processing company, announced a 'Net Zero by 2040' commitment. The company claimed its program was approved by the Science-Based Targets Initiative and marketed itself to consumers who would pay more for sustainable products. At 2023 Climate Week NYC, CEO Gilberto Tomazoni was confronted by a NYT reporter over the Better Business Bureau's determination that JBS's net-zero marketing was 'unsubstantiated.'
The claim did not survive contact with reality. JBS released 421.6 million metric tonnes of carbon in 2021 — larger than all of Italy's emissions. Over five years, the company's emissions increased by 50%. In 2025, climate advocacy groups estimated JBS emissions exceeded ExxonMobil and Shell combined. The Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor rated JBS programs with 'very low transparency and integrity.'
In March 2024, New York Attorney General Letitia James sued JBS USA for violating state laws on deceptive practices and false advertising. The lawsuit alleged JBS launched its 'Net Zero by 2040' marketing campaign before even identifying its Scope 3 emissions from its full supply chain. The AG's office said a majority of Americans prefer and will pay more for net-zero products — and JBS exploited that preference without a plan to deliver.
Why it happened
- The pledge preceded the measurement: JBS announced net-zero before identifying its own supply chain emissions — the claim was made before the baseline existed.
- The emissions contradicted the marketing: 421M tonnes and rising 50% over five years is not a company on a path to net zero — the marketing and the emissions moved in opposite directions.
- The BBB determination was the warning: the Better Business Bureau found the net-zero claims 'unsubstantiated' before the AG sued — the company ignored the signal.
- The consumer preference was the motive: most Americans will pay more for net-zero products — the marketing was not aspirational, it was extracting a price premium on a false claim.
The lesson
Announcing net-zero before measuring your emissions is not a climate strategy — it is an ad campaign. When your carbon exceeds Italy's and is rising, the marketing is the fraud.
Sources
- Wikipedia — JBS S.A. (net-zero claims and NY AG lawsuit sections)
- New York Attorney General — AG James Sues JBS, World's Largest Beef Producer, for Misrepresenting Its Environmental Impact
- Ecopolitic — Emissions from Brazilian meat producer JBS exceeded emissions from Italy
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