Livestock: How many emissions Germany&#8 • Table.Briefings

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, beef and cow’s milk production is responsible for 62 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming.

In 2022, Germany’s meat and dairy companies caused as many emissions as 61 percent of car traffic, a new Germanwatch study found. The organization calls for livestock farming to be significantly reduced to protect the climate. The German Meat Industry Association rejects the criticism.

According to the German Environment Agency (UBA), agriculture was responsible for 8.9 percent of total German greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. Around 5.3 percent of total emissions are attributable to livestock farming. Germany’s ten biggest meat and dairy companies each contribute a significant share: Combined, they generated as many emissions in 2022 as 61 percent of car traffic. Considering how many greenhouse gases are not stored in the soil due to livestock farming, the companies’ emissions rise to one and a half times that of car traffic: these are two key findings of a new Germanwatch study.

Livestock: How many emissions Germany’s largest meat and dairy companies cause

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