Intense lobbying by the meat and dairy industry has significantly hindered EU climate policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, according to a recent report.
The report by InfluenceMap reveals that since 2020, the meat and dairy industry has successfully weakened six major EU climate policies.
Industry associations and companies like Cargill and Arla have downplayed agriculture's climate impact and emphasized livestock's economic importance.
The analysis indicates these tactics are similar to those used by the fossil fuel industry to resist climate regulations.
Key quote:
"Following obstructive behaviour from the industry, and the infiltration of industry narratives in the EU Parliament and EU Commission, policies that are fundamental to reducing GHG emissions in line with scientific advice have been significantly weakened or have stalled."
— Venetia Roxburgh, EU program lead at InfluenceMap
Why this matters:
The stalling of climate policies by the meat and dairy industry jeopardizes efforts to meet global temperature targets. Without strict regulations, agricultural emissions in Europe are unlikely to decrease sufficiently to align with scientific recommendations.
Utilities and farmers are turning cow manure into power — removing methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere in the process. But is burning methane a climate solution or just a step on the way to green energy?
