Environment | JBS USA | Sustainability Report

2021 Global Key Facts and Figures

8%

decrease in scope 1 & 2 GHG emission intensity from 2019-2021

2%

decrease in energy use intensity from 2019-2021

10%

decrease in absolute scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions from 2019-2021

4%

decrease in fuel use intensity from 2019-2021

>$45MM

in scope 1 & 2 GHG emission reduction projects approved

>133

scope 1 & 2 GHG emission reduction projects approved

$1.5MM

in collaborative scope 3 GHG emission reduction projects approved

Aligning to the SDGs

JBS USA is committed to helping meet the global challenge of feeding a growing population, responsibly, by improving the efficiency of our operations and minimizing our environmental footprint.

To continue to reduce our environmental impact and reaffirm our commitment to minimize the resources needed to produce quality protein products, we have set aggressive 2030 goals for our global business as a part of our Sustainable Management System. Performance toward these goals is discussed in the Water and Energy and Emissions sections of this update.

Reaching Net Zero by 2040

JBS is the first global meat and poultry company to set a net-zero GHG emissions by 2040 target. 

Our Management Approach

Because we rely on natural resources to produce our products, environmental stewardship is a part of who we are. We promote a model of continuous improvement and recognize that environmental protection and resource conservation provide value and security to current and future generations. Our management approach is focused on improving operational efficiency, encouraging innovation and being compliant with all applicable environmental laws and regulations.

Our internally audited Environmental Management System (EMS) is based on the specifications of ISO 14001, yet tailored to enable our businesses to most effectively achieve our goals of protecting the environment. Pilgrim’s UK is working toward ISO 14001 certification. Pilgrim’s Moy Park operate an Integrated Safety and Environmental Management System (IMS) and Energy Management System (EnMS) which will be externally certified to, or will be in alignment with, ISO 14001, 45001 and 50001 standards.

Our environmental management structures encourage accountability and promote ownership within our environmental and operations teams. Almost every JBS USA facility has a full-time environmental manager or officer who oversees the environmental requirements and performance of the facility. This manager or officer then reports to the facility-specific general manager. In addition, corporate environmental teams oversee the environmental performance of multiple facilities and provide individual facility support by sharing best management practices and offering assistance to address specific issues, should they arise.

Corporate environmental teams generally report to the head of engineering for each business unit, who reports to the head of operations, who reports directly to the president of the business unit. This differs for JBS USA Live Pork business unit as its corporate environmental managers report to the vice president of environment, who reports to the president of the business unit. For Pilgrim’s Moy Park, the corporate environmental teams report to the head of sustainability and risk management, who reports to the president of the business unit. In Australia, the group environmental manager reports to the head of corporate and regulatory.

Environmental Management Policy

All team members share in the commitment to the JBS USA Environmental Policy. The policy is supported and reinforced by JBS USA executive management, overseen and governed by our environmental teams and implemented across the organization through direct support of in-plant personnel.

Read Our Environmental Policies

Our 2021 Stories

Learn more about how our facilities and partners are helping us achieve our sustainability goals.

Reducing Emissions Through Heat Recovery

Pilgrim's Moy Park

In the last five years, our Moy Park team at Anwick has vastly reduced fuel-oil consumption following the installation of a state-of-the-art heat recovery system at the site. The heating system’s configuration means that the Anwick facility utilizes waste refrigeration heat, which would normally be discarded outdoors. The recovered heat is then used instead of…

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Investing in Wastewater Treatment

Marshalltown, IA, Pork Production Facility

In April 2019, JBS USA Marshalltown completed a new $9.2 million, 10,000 square-foot pretreatment wastewater facility to more effectively process plant wastewater and extract previously-lost, sellable product. Since the treatment facility’s opening, Marshalltown has decreased the total suspended solids in its wastewater by approximately 43 percent and its biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) by more than…

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Pilgrim’s UK Wins Net Zero Strategy of the Year Award

Pilgrim's UK

Pilgrim’s UK is bringing home more hardware after winning “Net Zero Strategy of the Year” at the 11th annual BusinessGreen Leaders Awards. Pilgrim’s UK’s 2030 Sustainability Strategy was recognized as the key pillar behind the award. According to the judges’ panel, Pilgrim’s UK “won over the judges thanks to a comprehensive, ambitious, independently validated strategy…

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Pilgrim’s US Implements Its First Solar Energy Project in West Texas

Pilgrim's US

In an effort to use more sustainable electricity through use of solar power, Pilgrim’s partnered with one of the largest energy suppliers in North America to implement our first U.S. solar energy project in Texas. West Texas has some of the greatest solar and wind power potential in the country thanks to the area’s abundant…

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