Yum Brands announced Monday the company’s plans to reduce greenhouse gases by 46% by the year 2030, along with achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. The Louisville, Ky.-based parent company of Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill joins other restaurant chains in outlining sustainability goals (or celebrating achieving them) in 2021, including Dunkin’, Wendy’s, and Chipotle, which will also be tying executive compensation to improving environmental transparency.
These new initiatives from Yum are part of the company’s larger goal to address climate change.
“Climate change is one of the top priorities of our Recipe for Good strategy, and we’re investing significantly in sustainable growth to address this issue by working closely with our brands, franchisees and suppliers,” David Gibbs, Yum Brands CEO, said in a statement. “We believe in the collective power of Yum! and our brands to make a positive impact, and that holds true when it comes to creating a healthier future for our customers, communities and the environment.”
Yum Brands’ efforts in this initiative include:
- KFC investing in green buildings in Malaysia, South Africa and the U.K., which has resulted in 18% energy savings in Malaysia;
- Moving 1,000 restaurants around the world (including Australia) to renewable energy resources by the end of 2021; and
- Joining the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance.
“Our new climate commitments set Yum on an accelerated path when it comes to reducing our carbon footprint and bringing forward sustainable solutions to address climate change for our global system and the broader restaurant industry,” Jon Hixson, Yum’s global chief sustainability officer and vice president of government affairs said in a statement. “Our primary focus on this journey is to find innovative and cost-effective measures for restaurants and the supply chain that enable sustainability goals.”
In December, the Carbon Disclosure Project gave the company an A- in climate and water sustainability metrics. Yum plans to regularly report on the progress of its environmental goals.
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