New York Holds World’s Largest Beef Producer Accountable for Climate Greenwashing

In a major win for climate accountability, New York Attorney General Letitia James has secured a $1.1 million settlement from JBS USA, the American arm of the world’s largest beef producer, for greenwashing its climate commitments.

The lawsuit, filed in 2024, alleged that JBS USA falsely advertised its goal of reaching “net zero” greenhouse gas emissions by 2040—because the company had no public plan or data outlining how it would achieve it. Instead, the company continued expanding its exploitation of cows for beef production, globally, while regularly publicizing its “net zero” commitment.

A 2023 World Animal Protection report found that pig and chicken production from JBS alone causes the emissions equivalent to 14 million cars on the road each year, which is more than double the second-biggest factory farming emitter. To put that in perspective, JBS’s chicken and pig production emits more emissions than all the cars in New York City and almost three times that of cars in Rio de Janeiro annually.

That doesn’t even account for beef production, which was specifically called out by Attorney General James’s office as it’s a significant contributor to global climate change, the top driver of deforestation in tropical forests, and creates more greenhouse gasses than any other major food commodity.

Greenwashing Hurts Animals, People, and the Planet

Beef production is a major driver of climate change. Globally, animal agriculture contributes at least 14.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions, with beef responsible for the largest share. In 2021, JBS reported over 71 million tons of emissions, more than many entire countries.

Yet JBS continued promoting its “Net Zero by 2040” pledge in ads claiming, “Bacon, chicken wings, and steak with net zero emissions. It’s possible.” It wasn’t—and it isn’t. The company had no credible pathway or technology to make those claims a reality.

Beef production is also the top driver of destruction in the world’s tropical forests. Despite this fact, JBS Group and JBS USA have continued to make bold claims about achieving sustainability and ethical supply chain goals that it’s failing to uphold. The company publicly states that it will remove illegal deforestation from its supply chain, including by indirect suppliers, by 2025. Despite this, investigations by World Animal Protection and others have consistently JBS to buying cows as recently as 2024 from ranches that have illegally deforested biodiverse areas., Even with such policies in force its ability to ensure compliance within its massive supply chain is tenuous. Not to mention it’s clear intention to continuously expand and scale up around the world makes its commitments all the more suspect.

By misleading consumers who want to make environmentally friendly choices, JBS not only betrayed public trust—it also delayed real climate action and sustained one of the most harmful industries for animals and the planet.

Turning Deception Into Climate Action

Under the settlement, JBS’s payment of $1.1 million will be used to fund climate-smart agriculture programs in New York, helping local farmers reduce emissions, improve soil health, and strengthen climate resilience.

The agreement also forces JBS to:

• Stop making unsubstantiated environmental claims
• Reform its marketing practices
• Submit annual compliance reports to the Attorney General’s Office for three years

This outcome sends a powerful message: corporations cannot profit from false sustainability claims.

A Step Toward a More Humane, Sustainable Future

While this victory is important, we can’t ignore the bigger picture. Factory farming—especially industrial production of cows killed for beef—remains incompatible with a sustainable future. It fuels deforestation, pollutes waterways, drives biodiversity loss, and subjects billions of animals to lives of suffering.

Real climate solutions mean reducing our reliance on industrial animal agriculture and investing in plant-based and climate-smart food systems that benefit animals, people, and the planet alike.

At World Animal Protection, we’re working to expose corporate greenwashing and push for a global food system that protects animals and our shared home.

It’s clear the meat industry doesn’t care about deceiving its customers, but it’s the animals who are made to pay the ultimate price—and JBS Group, the world’s largest factory farming company, slaughters 13 million chickens, 128,000 pigs, and 77,000 cows around the world every single day.

Vow to pull your support of an industry that not only deceives consumers, destroys our planet, and puts our health at risk, but also tortures animals through cruel confinement, mutilations, unnatural, stressful conditions, and ultimately a painful death. Join Plant-Powered Changemakers for help removing animals from your plate today.