Nestlé has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance, an initiative formed with other global food giants at the COP28 summit in 2023.
A specific reason for quitting the group, launched with pledges to disclose and tackle annual methane emissions, was not provided by the world’s largest food company.
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Nestlé said in a brief statement: “Nestlé regularly reviews its memberships of external organisations. As part of this process, we have decided to discontinue our membership of the Dairy Methane Action Alliance.
“We appreciate the Alliance’s ongoing work on methane emissions reductions in the dairy industry. Nestlé remains steadfast in delivering against the objectives in our Dairy Climate Plan and Net Zero Roadmap.”
The KitKat maker said it continues to cut greenhouse gas and methane emissions from its supply chain, adding that the global business had reduced emissions by 21% in “absolute terms” by the end of 2024.
Nestlé departure from the alliance drew criticism from campaign group the Changing Markets Foundation.
Its CEO Nusa Urbancic suggested Nestlé lacked a methane-specific target or action plan, yet reported a 20.56% methane reduction without explaining the cuts in its sustainability report.
Urbancic called the exit a “textbook example of greenwashing”, arguing Nestlé “welcomed positive headlines when it joined the initiative but walked away as soon as delivery deadlines neared”.
Urbancic cited the Running Latte report analysing methane commitments in which “Nestlé shared third place with Arla, reaching 49 out of 100 points”.
She claimed the company disclosed methane emissions (in CO2e) only for its “ingredients” category, without clarifying what share of total emissions that represented.
According to Nestlé’s non-financial statement for 2024, the company continues to aim for a net‑zero target by 2050.
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By GlobalDataQuantified only for its ingredients portfolio, greenhouse gas emissions fell from 2018 to 2024. Methane emissions dropped by 20.56% to 13.08 million tonnes.
Reported CO2 emissions decreased by 20.19% to 24.06 million tonnes CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) and nitrous oxide fell by 13.74% to 5.50 million tCO2e.
Joining Nestlé in the Dairy Methane Action Alliance were Danone, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Bel Group and Lactalis.
Under the agreement, members committed to disclose annual dairy-supply emissions and to “create and implement a comprehensive methane action plan”.
In July, Albert Heijn disclosed its methane emissions, a move described by NGO Mighty Earth as the first by a “global supermarket”.
The Dutch grocery chain revealed its methane emissions accounted for approximately 14% of its total greenhouse-gas footprint in 2024.
Albert Heijn, part of the multinational retailer Ahold Delhaize, said at the time that “you get a much more complete picture of the impact on the environment” with its CO2 disclosures including methane.
