Greenwash Grocers
How do the big retailers rate when it comes to tackling the climate footprint of their meat and dairy?
Our new report has revealed that greenwashing – a form of advertising or marketing spin in which green PR and green marketing are deceptively used to persuade the public that an organisation’s products, aims and policies are environmentally friendly – is rife across the UK supermarket sector with ALL the major retailers found to be promoting minor green initiatives while avoiding taking significant action on the climate impact of the industrial meat and dairy they sell. Around a third of retailers’ emissions result from sales of industrial meat, dairy and other animal source foods.
What's the problem?
Raising large numbers of livestock – particularly in industrial factory farms – drives the climate emergency and damages our fragile ecosystems. Eating less meat – and ensuring meat we do buy is raised to the best standards we can afford – is a step we can all take to reduce our environmental impact.
Despite UK supermarkets being quick to adopt climate-friendly marketing with ‘green’ packaging, climate targets and advertising campaigns, not one single UK supermarket chain has yet adopted a target to reduce sales of industrial meat and dairy – the single biggest slice of supermarkets’ emissions.
What's the solution?
With a whopping 95% of retailers’ emissions coming from the products they sell and a third or more of these directly linked to some of their most polluting products i.e., meat and dairy sales – we are calling for:
- Complete transparency amongst retailers about how much of their climate footprint is linked to meat and dairy sales
- A clear and realistic pathway to net zero emissions which includes targets to sell less of their highest-emitting products;
- Action to drop promotions on meat and dairy products with immediate effect – in the same way some retailers have dropped promotions on products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS).
Latest updates in this campaign
The AHDB’s new “Let's Eat Balanced” advertising campaign is an insidious and…
What can you do to make a difference?
Sign our petition to tell the CEO's of the top 10 UK supermarkets enough is enough. It's time to stop the greenwash and start taking real climate action.
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