Business Wire

First-of-Its-Kind “Pathways to Dairy Net Zero” Initiative to Raise Climate Ambition for the Global Dairy Sector

Share

A first-of-its-kind Pathways to Dairy Net Zero initiative is being developed to accelerate climate change action throughout the global dairy sector. Announced today at the United Nations (UN) Food Systems Pre-Summit, the climate effort will be unlike any other in agriculture in terms of size, breadth, and scope.

“The global dairy sector is creating this ground-breaking initiative to help speed climate action already underway, while continuing to provide livelihoods for a billion people and important nutrition for six billion people,” said Donald Moore, Executive Director at the Global Dairy Platform.

A multi-stakeholder group of organizations, including the global dairy sector and representatives from the scientific and research communities, are working together to develop methodologies, tools and pathways that work for every dairy system. Pathways to Dairy Net Zero will officially launch during the UN Food Systems Summit in September and aims to generate commitments at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, in November.

New research to guide the initiative

Research is underway to identify where positive climate change action is possible across all dairy production systems and regions throughout the world. The study is being conducted by the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA), the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, Scotland’s Rural College and the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre. Preliminary findings include:

  1. Positive change is possible across all dairy systems and regions. Although there is a wide variety of production systems globally, there are opportunities for all to reduce greenhouse gas emission (GHG) intensity.1
  2. Collaboration is needed to reduce dairy’s emissions. Many climate, poverty, and malnutrition challenges can be addressed through adoption of best practices in similar dairy systems.2
  3. Reducing methane may be key to fast results. Methane, a primary GHG produced by ruminant livestock, is short-lived. As a result, more reductions in methane would have a more immediate effect on warming.3
  4. Dairy already has the means to reduce a significant proportion of emissions. 4 Initial evidence suggests emissions can be reduced up to 40 percent in some systems by improving productivity and resource use efficiency.
  5. Defining terminologies and targets will focus efforts to achieve the best results. As indicated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5°C, dairy’s carbon dioxide emissions need to strive to Net Zero, but its methane reduction can range from 24-47 percent, and its nitrous oxide reduction can be 26 percent.5

“Our initial analysis suggests that wider use of existing GHG mitigation technologies will make an important impact in reducing dairy’s emissions in the short term, while the development of new innovations takes place,” said Hayden Montgomery, Special Representative of GRA. “This initiative may ultimately act as a blueprint for other livestock sectors,” he added.

For more information about Pathways to Dairy Net Zero, visit: www.GlobalDairyPlatform.com/PathwaysToDairyNetZero.

You can register here for the UN Food Systems Pre-Summit affiliated session “Raising the climate ambition for the agriculture sector: An approach from dairy” on Monday, July 26, at 19:30 CEST.

References:

  1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Dairy Sector: A Life Cycle Assessment. Available at: http://www.fao.org/3/k7930e/k7930e00.pdf [Accessed July 2021].
  2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2019. Climate change and the global dairy cattle sector: The role of the dairy sector in a low‐carbon future. Available at: http://www.fao.org/3/CA2929EN/ca2929en.pdf [Accessed July 2021].
  3. UN Environment Programme. 2021. Global Methane Assessment: Benefits and Costs of Mitigating Methane Emissions. Available at: https://www.unep.org/resources/report/global-methane-assessment-benefits-and-costs-mitigating-methane-emissions [Accessed July 2021].
  4. Gerber PJ, Steinfeld H, Henderson B, et al. 2013. Tackling climate change through livestock – A global assessment of emissions and mitigation opportunities. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome. Available at: http://www.fao.org/3/i3437e/i3437e.pdf [Accessed July 2021].
  5. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 2018. Global warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. Available at: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/SR15_Full_Report_Low_Res.pdf [Accessed July 2021].

About Pathways to Dairy Net Zero

This is a vibrant, growing movement, the first of its kind in the world. It brings together dairy production systems of every size and type, as well as organizations throughout the dairy supply chain. Collaborators include Global Dairy Platform, International Dairy Federation, Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform, International Livestock Research Institute, Dairy Sustainability Framework and IFCN Dairy Research Network. The Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases is a knowledge partner.

www.GlobalDairyPlatform.com/PathwaysToDairyNetZero

To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

Contact information

Kevin Burkum, Director of Communications
+1 847-627-3387
Kevin.Burkum@GlobalDairyPlatform.com

About Business Wire

For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

SCENTMATIC's AI "KAORIUM" Debuts at THAMEEN Fragrance Launch in London's Selfridges4.7.2025 12:13:00 EEST | Press release

SCENTMATIC Inc., a leader in scent digitalization, introduced its AI-powered scent-to-language system, KAORIUM, at the THAMEEN Fragrance new product launch event. This pivotal event took place from June 5 to 11, 2025, at Selfridges department store in London, UK. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250703662207/en/ State of exhibition Global Expansion: KAORIUM Establishes UK Presence Europe leads the global fragrance market, with the UK projected to reach US$2.82 billion by 2033. Recognizing this, SCENTMATIC is rapidly expanding its international footprint. In May 2024, SCENTMATIC established its overseas subsidiary, KAORIUM, in London, appointing industry expert Ben Yanoushek as CEO. Official UK operations commenced on February 1, 2025, with the launch of its dedicated website: www.kaorium.com. KAORIUM Trialed at "Florentine Diamond" Launch Event The "Florentine Diamond" launch event for luxury brand THAMEEN Frag

Global Tourism Surging Ahead of Economic Growth, With Visits to Hit 30 Billion by 20344.7.2025 02:00:00 EEST | Press release

The World Economic Forum has today published a new report forecasting that the travel and tourism industry is projected to serve 30 billion tourist trips by 2034. Travel and Tourism at a Turning Point: Principles for Transformative Growth, produced in collaboration with Kearney and the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia, reveals a projected $16 trillion contribution to global GDP by the same year—representing more than 11% of the total world economy, according to World Travel & Tourism Council estimates. The report also found that the sector is expanding 1.5 times faster than the global economy, generating significant commercial opportunities as long as the mounting challenges of climate change, labour shortages and infrastructure gaps are addressed. Inbound and outbound trips increasing fast Asia is on track to become the world’s fastest-growing tourism economy, with the direct travel and tourism GDP contribution expected to exceed 7% across the region by 2034. Notably, India and China

The 2025-2026 World Branding Awards Animalis Edition Honouring Leading Pet and Animal Brands Globally3.7.2025 22:00:00 EEST | Press release

The 2025-2026 World Branding Awards Animalis Edition marked its fifth instalment, bringing together leading pet and animal brands from all around the world. These brands were celebrated for their outstanding achievements, earning recognition as National, Regional, and Global Winners. The awards ceremony, held at Vienna's prestigious Hofburg Palace, welcomed winners across diverse categories, including pet food, retail, wellness, pet exhibitions, and aquatic products. Mounia Berrada-Gouzi expertly hosted the evening, which culminated in a grand celebration of brand excellence. “The Animalis Edition of the World Branding Awards recognises brands that have achieved the highest distinction—genuine recognition in the hearts and minds of consumers. Tonight, we honour those whose names resonate globally, whose values inspire loyalty, and whose presence defines excellence in the pet and animal industry,” said Richard Rowles, Chairman of the World Branding Forum. Out of over 950 brands nominate

Venture Global Announces 20-Year Sales and Purchase Agreement with PETRONAS3.7.2025 15:59:00 EEST | Press release

Today, Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE: VG) announced the execution of a new 20-year Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with PETRONAS LNG Ltd. (PLL), a subsidiary of the Malaysian state-owned oil and gas company, PETRONAS. Under the terms of the SPA, PETRONAS will purchase 1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Venture Global’s third facility, CP2 LNG, for 20 years. This builds upon Venture Global’s existing agreement with PETRONAS for 1 MTPA of LNG supply from Plaquemines LNG. PETRONAS, a world-class partner in the LNG industry, joins other CP2 LNG customers in Europe, Asia and the rest of the world in a strategically important project to global energy supply and security. To date, approximately 10.75 MTPA of the 14.4 MTPA nameplate capacity for CP2 Phase One has been sold. About Venture Global Venture Global is a long-term, low-cost provider of U.S. LNG sourced from resource rich North American natural gas basins. Venture Global’s business includes assets ac

Frost & Sullivan Recognizes Novotech as 2025 Global Biotech CRO Company of the Year3.7.2025 15:05:00 EEST | Press release

In recognition of its innovation, client-focused delivery, and global impact, Novotech has been awarded the 2025 Global Biotechnology Contract Research Organization (CRO) Company of the Year by Frost & Sullivan. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250703950144/en/ Novotech Wins Global CRO Award Novotech is a globally recognized full-service clinical CRO and scientific advisory firm, trusted by biotech and small- to mid-sized pharmaceutical companies to advance their drug development programs at every phase. With a global footprint spanning Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe, Novotech supports over 5,000 clinical trial sites and a distributed team of experts delivering seamless, end-to-end solutions across geographies. “Novotech is redefining biotech-focused clinical research through AI-driven innovation, global expansion, and a client-embedded partnership model. With a clear vision to be the CRO of choice for

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye