OAK BROOK, Ill., March 20, 2018
(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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