Nestlé, a global food giant, has announced its decision to leave the Dairy Methane Action Alliance, a group aimed at reducing methane emissions from the dairy industry. The alliance was founded in 2023 by the Environmental Defense Fund, and Nestlé was one of its founding members, alongside other major companies such as Danone and General Mills. According to a Nestlé spokesperson, the decision to leave the alliance was made as part of a regular review of the company’s membership in external organizations.
Despite leaving the alliance, Nestlé remains committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, including methane. The company has reported a 21% decrease in its greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 compared to 2018. Nestlé has also set ambitious targets to halve its emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. The company’s Dairy Climate Plan and Net Zero Roadmap guide its efforts to reduce emissions throughout its supply chain.
Nestlé’s decision to leave the alliance comes as food companies face growing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint. However, many companies are struggling to meet their sustainability commitments due to increasing demand for products, regulatory challenges, and complex supply chains. For example, PepsiCo recently announced that it was becoming more “pragmatic” around its climate investments and scrapped some of its sustainability targets, including a goal to reduce total emissions by 40% by 2030.
Other large companies, such as Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Mars, and Unilever, have also acknowledged that they may not meet certain packaging sustainability goals. The challenges faced by these companies highlight the complexities of reducing emissions and achieving sustainability targets, particularly in industries with sprawling supply chains and growing demand for products. Despite these challenges, companies like Nestlé remain committed to reducing their environmental impact and achieving their sustainability goals.