Industrial meat companies are among the world’s largest emitters of methane, yet their climate claims often escape the scrutiny applied to fossil fuel firms. This case study examined how U.S.-based giants JBS Foods USA and Tyson Foods, Inc. construct climate responsibility through corporate communications, advertising, and sustainability reporting. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study analysed a decade of discourse to uncover how these “Methane Majors” frame their emissions as temporary, biogenic, or solvable through future technologies such as feed additives and carbon-neutral products. These narratives, while projecting progress, risk deflecting attention from current emissions and systemic drivers of harm. By linking discursive analysis to legal and regulatory frameworks, the research highlighted how such claims may constitute deceptive environmental marketing under consumer protection law, offering insights into emerging “climate-washing” litigation.
