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Nestle did not say why it was pulling out of the alliance but said it would continue working towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, throughout its supply chains and was sticking to its net zero commitment by 2050.
CLIMATE ALLIANCES ON THE BACK FOOT
The move is the latest blow to a corporate alliance seeking to limit the impact of global warming, and comes as U.S. President Donald Trump dismantles a range of climate protection initiatives. Several major banks, for example, have left the sector’s main group leading efforts to cut carbon emissions.
“Nestle regularly reviews its memberships of external organizations,” the Swiss company said. “As part of this process, we have decided to discontinue our membership of the Dairy Methane Action Alliance.”
By the end of 2024, Nestle had reduced methane emissions by almost 21% compared to 2018 levels, the company said in its 2024 non-financial statement.
Methane is nearly 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, making it a major focus of attempts to curb global warming.
According to the Environmental Defense Fund, which launched the methane alliance, agriculture is responsible for nearly 40% of human-caused methane emissions, with the majority of those coming from livestock.
Nestle’s logo was removed from the main page of the EDF’s website, but the company’s name still appears on other pages. The EDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reporting by Alexander Marrow. Editing by Mark Potter
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Chief companies correspondent for Russia, Alexander covers Russia’s economy, markets and the country’s financial, retail and technology sectors, with a particular focus on the Western corporate exodus from Russia and the domestic players eyeing opportunities as the dust settles. Before joining Reuters, Alexander worked on Sky Sports News’ coverage of the 2016 Olympics in Brazil and the 2018 World Cup in Russia.