McDonald’s Becomes the First Restaurant Company to Set Approved Science Based Target to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
March 20 2018 - 4:03AM
Today, McDonald’s announces it will partner with franchisees and
suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to McDonald’s
restaurants and offices by 36% by 2030 from a 2015 base year in a
new strategy to address global climate change. Additionally,
McDonald’s commits to a 31% reduction in emissions intensity (per
metric ton of food and packaging) across its supply chain by 2030
from 2015 levels. This combined target has been approved by the
Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Through these actions, McDonald’s expects to prevent 150 million
metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from being released into
the atmosphere by 2030. This is the equivalent of taking 32 million
passenger cars off the road for an entire year or planting 3.8
billion trees and growing them for 10 years. The target will enable
McDonald’s to grow as a business without growing its emissions.
“To create a better future for our planet, we must all get
involved. McDonald’s is doing its part by setting this ambitious
goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to address the challenge of
global climate change,” said Steve Easterbrook, McDonald’s
President and CEO, who announced the plan in a video released by
the company. “To meet this goal, we will source our food
responsibly, promote renewable energy and use it efficiently, and
reduce waste and increase recycling.” To reach its target,
McDonald’s will work across its supply chain, offices and
restaurants to be more innovative and efficient through
improvements such as LED lighting, energy efficient kitchen
equipment, sustainable packaging, restaurant recycling, and by
elevating and supporting sustainable agriculture practices. In
collaboration with thousands of franchisees, suppliers and
producers, McDonald’s will prioritize action on the largest
segments of its carbon footprint: beef production, restaurant
energy usage and sourcing, packaging and waste. These segments
combined, account for approximately 64% of McDonald’s global
emissions. Building on the momentum of existing programs on
forests, agriculture and energy efficiency, McDonald’s and its
partners will continue to identify practical solutions to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and bring them to scale. In its commitment
to transparency, McDonald’s will expand its measurement systems,
and annually communicate about progress, challenges and
milestones.
“Environmental progress doesn’t just happen, it takes bold
leadership from all of us,” said Fred Krupp, President of
Environmental Defense Fund. “As one of the best known brands on the
planet, McDonald’s is well positioned to lead, and its ambitious
new climate target will inspire innovation, collaboration, and most
importantly critical greenhouse gas reductions across the company’s
global operations and supply chain.” McDonald’s work to
care for the planet and communities spans nearly three decades,
including the establishment of a groundbreaking partnership with
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) on packaging and waste reduction.
More recently, in 2014, McDonald’s released an Energy and Climate
Position Statement, establishing the company’s view on taking
effective, collaborative action to tackle climate change.
Additionally, in 2015, McDonald’s developed a Commitment on Forests
that addresses supply chain impacts on deforestation. This
strengthened the foundation of the company’s climate strategy as
deforestation accounts for an estimated 15% of global greenhouse
gas emissions. “McDonald's footprint touches all parts of the
world. Their announcement matters because it commits one of the
world’s biggest companies to deliver, with the full breadth of
their food chain system, significant emissions reductions based on
science. It also coincides with their decision to join the We Are
Still In coalition with thousands of other companies across the
US,” said Carter Roberts, President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund
(WWF) in the United States. “While private-sector actions can’t
entirely solve the climate crisis facing our planet, significant
announcements like these, and coalitions like these working on
climate together, create momentum and movement toward the scale of
solutions that we ultimately need.” The launch of this science
based target is the latest step in McDonald’s journey to drive
meaningful change and use its Scale for Good. “McDonald’s is
delivering a strong statement by becoming the first restaurant
company to set a science-based greenhouse gas emissions target.
McDonald’s leaders understand that you don’t have to grow emissions
to grow as a company,” said Andrew Steer, President & CEO,
World Resources Institute (WRI), one of the Science Based Targets
initiative partners. “By working with suppliers to design and scale
more sustainable farming practices and reducing waste, McDonald’s
will chart a path that is better for its franchise, customers and
the environment. WRI urges McDonald’s to look for additional
opportunities to align their business model and value chain with
the realities of a resource-constrained world. We stand ready to
support the company in pursuing strategies that lead to healthier
consumers and a more sustainable planet.”
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a
collaboration between WRI, WWF, CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure
Project) and the United Nations Global Compact, which helps
companies determine how much they must cut emissions to do their
part to address climate change. Building on years of engagement
with the beef industry, McDonald’s released its 2020 goals for beef
sustainability in 2017. These laid out the next steps for
collaboration with beef producers and industry partners to
proactively identify, share and scale beef production’s most
sustainable practices. Already in 2018, McDonald’s launched new
packaging and recycling goals and strengthened its commitment to
support families.
About McDonald’s McDonald’s is the world’s
leading global foodservice retailer with over 37,000 locations in
120 markets around the world. Over 90 percent of McDonald’s
restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local
business men and women.
MEDIA CONTACT
Terri Hickey, 773-655-3035 terri.hickey@us.mcd.com
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