The company was a pioneer in announcing a compensation plan and an end to illegal deforestation in the Amazon in 2021
JBS, the world’s largest meat producer, stated that its goal announced in 2021 of zero emissions by 2040 was a “aspiration”not a formal commitment. The statement was made in an exclusive interview by Jason Weller, the company’s global director of sustainability.
“It was never a promise that JBS would make this happen”says Weller to Reuters, referring to the goal of net-zero emissions by 2040. The executive added that the company has no control over the operations of the supplier farms.
After the interview, in a written response to Reuters, JBS stated: “Our climate ambitions have not changed. Any statement to the contrary is completely false.”
A Reuters found that the company had used terms such as “commitment” e “promise” when presenting the plan to investors and in marketing materials, including the tagline “anything less is not an option.”
According to a survey by Reuters, In the last 5 years, investors have received little results from JBS’ environmental promises. The agency found a lack of shareholder proposals on the environment and little questioning about sustainability in earnings conference calls.
