New York state Attorney General Letitia James recently sued beef producer JBS for allegedly misleading the public about a pledge to slash its climate pollution, reports NPR. The lawsuit was filed in state court.
Prosecutors said that even after a consumer group recommended the company stop advertising because it lacked a strategy to achieve its climate target, the producer continued to make the alleged deceptive marketing claims.
In 2021, the food maker said it would eliminate or offset all of the greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chains and operations by 2040.
“Agriculture can and must be part of the global climate solution,” Gilberto Tomazoni, chief executive of JBS said in a statement when announcing the goal. “We believe through innovation, investment, and collaboration, net zero is within our collective grasp.”
New York prosecutors assert, however, that even if JBS had developed a plan, the company could not deliver on the climate commitment. The state said that there are no proven ways to achieve JBS’s goal to zero its agriculture emissions at the company’s scale.
“As families continue to face the daily impacts of the climate crisis, they are willing to spend more of their hard-earned money on products from brands that are better for the environment,” James said in a statement. “When companies falsely advertise their commitment to sustainability, they are misleading consumers and endangering our planet.” (SFA)
