Peer-reviewed research outlines first methodology for using GWP* alongside GWP100 in corporate greenhouse gas inventories

ARLINGTON, VA — The Meat Institute today announced the publication of new peer-reviewed research in Frontiers in Climate that gives livestock and meat companies a practical way to better account for emissions and disclose methane’s role in their greenhouse gas inventory.

The study, “Bridging the Climate-Corporate Gap: Utilizing GWP* with GWP100 for Livestock Companies’ Greenhouse Gas Inventories”, was authored by Sarah C. Klopatek, Logan R. Thompson, Sara E. Place and Matthew R. Beck. The research addresses a challenge facing agriculture and food companies: how to report methane, a short-lived greenhouse gas, in a way that reflects both current reporting requirements and the latest science on warming over time.

Most corporate greenhouse gas inventories today use GWP100, a long-established metric that compares greenhouse gases over a 100-year period. The new paper explains how companies can also use GWP*, a metric designed to better reflect changes in methane emissions over time, while continuing to report other greenhouse gases under GWP100. The authors recommend a “dual reporting” approach so farmers, companies, customers and policymakers can see a more transparent and complete picture of emissions and climate progress.

“Corporate GHG Compliance and atmospheric physics shouldn't be at odds,” Klopatek said. “Companies need to meet GHG reporting requirements while simultaneously deploying capital where it realistically moves the needle on warming. Our new methodology of dual-reporting GWP* alongside GWP100 provides food and beverage industries with the practical tools needed to maintain regulatory compliance while evaluating their actual climate impact.”

“Animal Agriculture needs greenhouse gas accounting tools that are scientifically sound, practical and understandable,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “This research gives companies a clearer way to evaluate methane emissions and make informed decisions about where to focus resources for continued improvement.”

A key feature of the research is a new methodology that allows companies to use country-level livestock emissions data to build the 20-year history needed for GWP*. That approach helps overcome a major barrier for companies that have only recently begun calculating detailed emissions inventories.

In a model beef company used in the paper, applying the new methodology for a 2020 baseline year showed methane’s implied contribution to warming was 41 percent lower using GWP* than using GWP100 alone. The authors note that if methane emissions increase over time, GWP* can show a greater warming impact than GWP100, underscoring the importance of measuring changes in emissions—not just total emissions at a single point in time.

The paper also emphasizes split-gas reporting, which separates methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide rather than combining them into one carbon dioxide equivalency at the outset. That distinction matters because gases behave differently in the atmosphere and require different mitigation strategies on farms, ranches and throughout the supply chain.

“This is not about replacing current accounting methods,” Potts said. “It is about adding context that can help companies, producers and the public better understand methane trends and the effect of real-world improvements in livestock systems.”

The study was published August 18, 2026, in Frontiers in Climate. A companion white paper prepared for the Meat Institute summarizes the methodology and its implications for corporate greenhouse gas accounting in clear, practical terms for livestock and meat companies. A one-pager is available here.

About the Meat Institute

The Meat Institute represents the full community of people and companies who make the majority of meat American families rely on every day. The Meat Institute’s hands-on regulatory and technical expertise, proactive advocacy, unique convening power, collaboration within and beyond animal agriculture, and sector-leading continuous improvement initiatives drive relationships and resources that ensure meat continues to be a vital, trusted pillar of healthy diets and thriving communities for generations to come. To learn more, visit: MeatInstitute.org.