Arla has revised its climate targets so that they now follow the latest guidelines from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for agriculture and land use – known as FLAG (Forest, Land and Agriculture).

FLAG focuses on reducing emissions from agriculture, land and forestry – the areas that matter most for dairy production. By following FLAG, Arla signals that it intends to take responsibility and use internationally recognised standards. The aim is to make milk production even more sustainable and based on the latest climate science.

Through its FarmAhead™ programme, Arla uses data and technology to help farmers cut emissions and improve sustainability on their farms.

The new targets apply to Arla’s indirect emissions (Scope 3):

FLAG target: Arla aims to reduce its emissions from milk raw materials and purchased whey by 30.3% from 2020 to 2030.
Non-FLAG target: 82.6% of Arla’s suppliers must have their own climate targets in place by 2029.

• By aligning with FLAG, we demonstrate our commitment to following industry guidelines and the latest climate research. It strengthens the credibility of our efforts to secure a more sustainable and resilient milk production system capable of feeding a growing global population,” says Hanne Søndergaard, Arla’s Global Head of Agriculture and Sustainability.

The new targets will be presented in Arla’s 2025 annual report (published February 2026). From 2027, only the new targets will apply. Arla’s other targets for Scope 1 and 2 remain unchanged – a 63% reduction since 2015.

Read ARLA’s press release HERE

Photo: Arla by LWM