Copenhagen, Stockholm, Auckland \u2013 Today, Greenpeace Denmark is taking legal action against Arla \u2013 the Danish-Swedish multinational and one of the world\u2019s largest dairy producers \u2013 for misleading consumers through deceptive climate reporting, creating the false impression that the company is significantly greener than it truly is.<\/p>\n\n
This follows similar complaints filed by Greenpeace Sweden against Arla, and by Greenpeace Aotearoa (New Zealand) against another dairy giant, Fonterra. These actions form part of a growing global trend of legal challenges targeting greenwashing and false climate claims in the livestock industry.<\/p>\n\n
Christian Fromberg, Campaign Lead of Agriculture and Nature at Greenpeace Denmark, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n \u201cBy coordinating complaints against Arla in both countries it calls home, we aim to set a precedent: greenwashing and false marketing will not be tolerated, no matter how big you are and where you are based.\u201d<\/p>\n\n Greenpeace Denmark has submitted a formal complaint<\/a> to the Danish Business Authority \u2013 the regulatory body in Arla\u2019s home country \u2013 backed by extensive documentation showing that the dairy giant has significantly overstated its CO\u2082 reductions and is engaging in what the organisation describes as \u201csystematic greenwashing\u201d.<\/p>\n\n Arla claims to have cut supply chain greenhouse gas emissions by 13 per cent since 2015. However, according to the complaint, nearly half of that reduction occurred suddenly in 2016 when the company changed its calculation methodology without adjusting the baseline accordingly. Greenpeace Denmark argues that this methodological shift not only misleads consumers but also breaches financial reporting laws in both Denmark and Sweden.<\/p>\n\n These laws require, among other things, that information presented in annual reports must be accurate and \u2013 critically for this case \u2013 comparable over time.<\/p>\n\n Arla\u2019s emissions reporting was previously criticised by Swedish media in 2022<\/a>, after which the company pledged to review this issue. Yet two years later, Greenpeace Denmark has found<\/a> that Arla\u2019s 2024 annual report still relies on the misleading baseline to present its emissions reductions.<\/p>\n\n Greenpeace Sweden has also lodged two formal complaints<\/a> against Arla. One has been submitted to the National Consumer Ombudsman, challenging the advertising campaign \u201cWorth a little more\u201d<\/em>, which gives the impression that Arla\u2019s sustainability initiatives support small-scale farms, grazing cows, and environmentally friendly production. In reality, the company is lobbying to abolish Sweden\u2019s summer grazing law in favour of further industrialisation of its supply chain.<\/p>\n\n Sweden is the only country in the world where cows have a legal right to graze outdoors during summer. This law is sometimes referred to as the Astrid Lindgren law, as it was presented to the beloved author as a birthday gift by then-Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson.<\/p>\n\n The second complaint, filed with the Swedish Authority for Business Audit, alleges that Arla has used flawed data in its climate reporting, inflating its claimed emissions reductions.<\/p>\n\n Gustav Martner, Creative Lead and advertising expert at Greenpeace Nordic, said: <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n \u201cArla presents itself as a Big Dairy role model on climate and nature, with a concern for animal welfare. But behind the scenes, it is lobbying to repeal laws that ensure the wellbeing of farm animals. This must stop, and the public needs to know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n In New Zealand, Greenpeace Aotearoa is suing Fonterra \u2013 the world\u2019s largest dairy exporter \u2013 over false claims on its Anchor-brand butter packaging. According to the complaint, the packaging included the label \u201c100% New Zealand grass-fed\u201d, despite Fonterra\u2019s own standard allowing up to 20% of a cow\u2019s diet to consist of imported palm kernel \u2013 a by-product of the palm oil industry, which is linked to deforestation in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n\n Amanda Larsson, Senior Campaigner, Greenpeace Aotearoa, said:<\/strong> Last year, a Danish court ruled against meat giant Danish Crown<\/a> for claiming that its pork was \u201cclimate-controlled\u201d. And although a recent case brought by the New York Attorney General against global meat giant JBS for misleading net-zero claims was dismissed, legal threats against greenwashing by Big Meat and Big Dairy are clearly on the rise.<\/p>\n\n To highlight the issue of exaggerated climate claims in the dairy sector, Greenpeace Nordic has launched a website on World Milk Day<\/a> (1 June), compiling greenwashing cases and tactics used by major dairy corporations around the world \u2013 helping voters and consumers alike see past the fa\u00e7ade of happy cows and green pastures.<\/p>\n\n ENDS<\/p>\n\n Notes:<\/strong> According to a 2024 Greenpeace Nordic report<\/a>, the combined methane emissions of the world\u2019s three largest dairy companies are estimated to exceed those of some of the biggest fossil fuel corporations, including ExxonMobil. Photos and Videos can be accessed from the <\/strong>Greenpeace Media Library<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Contacts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Amanda Larsson, Senior Campaigner, Greenpeace Aotearoa: +6421722794, alarsson@greenpeace.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n Poul Bonke Justesen, Communications Officer, Greenpeace Nordic. +45 26294938, poul.bonke.justesen@greenpeace.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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\u201cWe think shoppers would be shocked to know that the block of \u2018grass-fed\u2019 butter they pick up at the supermarket could actually be linked to the destruction of orangutan habitats. Misleading packaging like this is a real punch in the guts to people who are trying hard to do their part by shopping ethically \u2013 it\u2019s time for Fonterra to face the consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Both Arla and Fonterra\u2019s emissions are made up predominantly of methane, a superheating gas that is around 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. A UN methane assessment found that methane emissions must drop by 45% from 2020 levels by the end of this decade, yet these emissions have yet to peak<\/a>, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). <\/p>\n\n
The global livestock industry is also a major driver of freshwater and air pollution, as well as deforestation of the world\u2019s remaining rainforests. Yet Arla and Fonterra continue to market their products as clean, natural, and environmentally friendly. Greenpeace entities in Denmark, Sweden and New Zealand are challenging these dairy giants in an effort to hold them accountable for their greenwashing and obstruction of essential climate efforts. <\/p>\n\n