Brazilian meat giant JBS’s appeal against an advertising watchdog’s decision regarding its environmental claims has been dismissed. The company had appealed the ruling made by the US non-profit organization, The National Advertising Division (NAD), stating that JBS’s proposed measures would not lead to achieving its net-zero target by 2040.
In February, JBS initiated the appeal after the NAD’s recommendation. The National Advertising Review Board (NARB) has now affirmed that NAD arrived at the correct conclusion, determining that the challenged claims in JBS’s advertising were misleading. According to the board’s statement, “The NARB panel established that the disputed claims imply that JBS is already implementing a documented plan that has been evaluated and is expected to achieve ‘net-zero’ by 2040.”
However, the board clarified that JBS currently does not possess a finalized and verified plan. Instead, the company is in the exploratory stage of its efforts toward the net-zero 2040 goal.
JBS expressed its disagreement with the NAD and NARB’s interpretation of how consumers perceive the contested claims. Nevertheless, the company will comply with NARB’s recommendation by incorporating it into future published statements and advertising assertions.
Having pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2040 in March 2021, JBS’s commitment encompasses all its global operations, including Pilgrim’s Pride in the US and Moy Park in the UK. The plan also extends to the company’s supply chain, encompassing agricultural producers, suppliers, and customers.
