JBS on Wednesday announced a commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040. The commitment spans the company’s global operations, including Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, as well as its diverse value chain of agricultural producer partners, suppliers and customers in their efforts to reduce emissions across the value chain.

The ambition reflects the company’s goal to meet the health and nutritional needs of the growing global population in a sustainable manner that preserves the planet’s resources for future generations. As part of its commitment, the company has signed on to the United Nations Global Compact’s Business Ambition for 1.5°C initiative, which aligns with the most ambitious aim of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming.

“Climate change is the great challenge of our time and we must act urgently to combat the negative effects of global warming,” said Gilberto Tomazoni, JBS global chief executive officer. “As one of the most diversified global food companies, we have an opportunity to leverage our scale and influence to help lead a sustainable transformation of agricultural markets that empowers producers, suppliers, customers and consumers. Agriculture can and must be part of the global climate solution. We believe through innovation, investment and collaboration, net zero is within our collective grasp.”

The company will develop GHG emission reduction targets across its global operations and value chains in South America, North America, Europe, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. JBS will provide a time-bound roadmap that provides interim targets consistent with the criteria set forth by the Science Based Targets initiative for a 1.5°C trajectory. The company will also provide annual updates on progress to ensure transparency and disclose its financial risks linked to climate change, in line with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) initiative.

To accomplish its net-zero goal, the company will adopt several strategies to achieve reductions in emissions, including:

  • Reducing direct emissions in its facilities: JBS will reduce its global scope 1 and 2 emission intensity by at least 30% by 2030 against base year 2019.
  • Investing in the future: JBS will invest more than $1 billion in incremental capital expenditures over the next decade in emission reduction projects. The company will engage its team members and award funding for projects to its facilities using a panel consisting of company executives, specialists and academics.
  • Eliminating deforestation: JBS will eliminate illegal Amazon deforestation from its supply chain – including the suppliers of its suppliers – by 2025, and in other Brazilian biomes by 2030. The company will achieve zero deforestation across its global supply chain by 2035.
  • Using 100% renewable electricity in its facilities: JBS will join RE100 and convert to 100% renewable electricity across its global facilities by 2040.
  • Fostering innovation: JBS will invest $100 million by 2030 in research and development projects to assist producer efforts to strengthen and scale regenerative farming practices, including carbon sequestration and on-farm emission mitigation technologies. This investment will contribute to reducing scope 3 emissions across the value chain, in our efforts toward net zero.
  • Ensuring accountability: Across the company, performance against environmental goals, including GHG emission reduction targets, will be part of senior executive compensation considerations.

JBS USA also announced this week the company has completed the installation of 1,440 solar panels at its US headquarters that will reduce energy consumption by 860,800 kilowatt-hours at the facility.

“JBS has ambitious sustainability goals for all of our sites across the globe,” said Jim Mullin, head of energy procurement with JBS USA, “and meeting them will require a process of continual improvement for years to come.”

Pilgrim’s Pride this week also announced it plans to offer $1 billion worth of sustainability-linked bonds as a part of its sustainability efforts.

“Since the release of our inaugural corporate responsibility report nearly a decade ago, Pilgrim’s has set ambitious environmental improvement targets and publicly reported our progress to the market,” Pilgrim’s global chief executive officer Fabio Sandri said. “Earlier this week, we announced our commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and today we offer our first sustainability-linked bond. These actions reinforce our company’s long-standing commitment to responsible environmental stewardship and sustainable food production.”

Pilgrim’s said the framework for the bond is consistent with the aim of the Paris Climate Agreement to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius by 2050, according to a Meat + Poultry report. The Framework was independently assessed by ISS ESG, which determined the Sustainability Performance Target linked to the bond was ambitious based both on Pilgrim’s past performance and in comparison to other companies in the global food and beverage sector.