ESG Enforcement Tracker

In September 2024, Greenpeace Aotearoa commenced proceedings against Fonterra, a New Zealand-based dairy co-operative and one of the world’s largest exporters of dairy products.  

This forms part of a series of actions taken by Greenpeace against dairy producers. In June 2025, Greenpeace initiated a formal complaint with the Danish Business Authority against Arla, a major dairy producer, alleging misleading environmental claims, with similar complaints made in Sweden.

The actions reflect increasing challenges to sustainability-related marketing, with Greenpeace alleging that companies are overstating environmental performance in reporting and advertising.

Fonterra – New Zealand proceedings settled

Greenpeace Aotearoa alleged that claims that Anchor butter was “100% New Zealand grass-fed” were misleading.

Greenpeace had alleged that the ​label used for butters sold in New Zealand supermarkets ​between December 2023 and April 2025 was in breach of consumer law because the cows’ diets included non-grass feed, including imported palm kernel. New Zealand is said to be the largest importer of palm kernel expeller, a byproduct of the oil palm industry, which is linked to deforestation in Southeast Asia.

In March 2026, Fonterra agreed to settle the proceedings. As part of the settlement, it recognised that the combined use of the claims would have been likely to mislead some consumers and discontinued using the “100% New Zealand grass-fed” labelling on Anchor butter packaging.

Arla – EU proceedings

Greenpeace Denmark submitted a complaint to the Danish Business Authority alleging that Arla overstated greenhouse gas emission reductions and relied on misleading climate data in its annual reporting.

Related complaints were also filed in Sweden with the Consumer Agency and the Financial Supervisory Authority regarding climate disclosures and marketing practices.

No evidence has been identified in the available public sources on the status of these proceedings, which appear to be ongoing.