GREELEY, COLO. – JBS USA announced this week that it plans to appeal the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs' (formerly the Better Business Bureau) recommendation that the company discontinues claims related to net-zero greenhouse gas goals by 2040.
The meat processor first declared its goals in 2021.
“Aspirational environmental benefit claims create reasonable expectations on the part of consumers and, as a result, they require substantiation,” NAD said in its statement. “When aspirational claims are tied to measurable outcomes an advertiser must be able to demonstrate that its goals and aspirations are not merely illusory and to provide evidence of the steps it is taking to reach its stated goal.”
The group challenged JBS’ claims including:
- “JBS is committing to be net zero by 2040”
- “Global Commitment to Achieve Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2040”
- “Bacon, chicken wings and steak with net zero emissions. It’s possible” and
- “Leading change across the food industry and achieving our goal of net zero by 2040 will be a challenge. Anything less is not an option.”
Following the recommendation, JBS dissented against the decision by the NAD.
“We respectfully disagree with the NAD’s decision,” said Nikki Richardson, spokesperson for the company. “JBS takes our environmental sustainability initiatives very seriously, and we are working with credible, third-party experts to achieve our ambitious target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 with tangible investments and projects around the world, which are already well underway.”
