McZero? McDonalds commits to achieving net zero across entire global business by 2050
UK and Ireland boss declares ‘this new Plan for Change is not just our sustainability strategy, it’s our business priority’, as company pledges to deliver net zero in the UK by 2040
McDonald’s today announced its commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 across its global corporation, with the UK & Ireland branch of the business aiming to lead the way by achieving net zero emissions by 2040.
The fast-food giant confirmed it has set climate targets in line with limiting global warming to 1.5C by 2050, having joined the Science Based Targets initiative’s Business Ambition for 1.5C and the United Nations Race to Zero campaigns.
The move came on the same day as the company launched its UK and Ireland sustainability strategy, dubbed Plan for Change, which sets out a pathway for achieving net zero emissions across its entire UK and Ireland business by 2040.
The Plan for Change outlines the current and future steps the corporation is planning to take to achieve emissions reductions targets in four key areas: Planet, People, Restaurants, and Food. At the heart of the strategy is a goal to achieve net zero emissions in all UK&I restaurants and offices by 2030 before then extending net zero to its entire value chain by 2040.
“McDonald’s has a long history of taking action where it really matters to the communities we serve,” said Paul Pomroy, chief executive of McDonald’s UK & Ireland. “But we are at a moment now where we need to accelerate our ambition and work even harder to look after each other and the planet.
“This new Plan for Change is not just our sustainability strategy, it’s our business priority. That means it isn’t a plan for one change, but for many – changes that together, with 1,400 restaurants, over 130,000 people, 23,000 British and Irish farmers and four million customers visiting every day, really will add up.”
McDonald’s has said the switch to deforestation free soy in its ingredients and animal feed over the next five years will play a key role in achieving its emissions targets. The company also plans to introduce a scorecard in the net few years that will be used to apply ethical and sustainability criteria to its sourcing decisions, while the McDonald’s menu is set to feature more plant-based options in a bid to curb its supply chain emissions.
The Plan also sets targets for packaging to be recyclable or compostable and made from renewable, recycled or certified sources by 2024.
Work towards achieving zero emissions restaurants is also already underway, the company announced, with the first McDonald’s restaurant built to a UK industry net zero emissions standard set to open in Shropshire next month and act as a blueprint for future emissions free buildings.
Commenting on the news, Andrew Griffith, the Conservative MP who serves as the UK’s Net Zero Business Champion, said: “Having an iconic brand like McDonald’s join the hundreds of businesses across the UK that have signed up to the UN’s Race to Net Zero campaign is an exciting milestone.
“I hope businesses across the UK will be inspired by their ambitious initiatives, helping us all to build back greener.”
The news comes amid a renewed push for companies across the globe to commit to science-based targets ahead of the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow in November. Last week, a group of investors called on 1,600 high impact companies around the world to set targets in line with 1.5C climate science, while new research found most companies in the G20 nations failed to set climate targets in line with science.
However, McDonald’s new targets can expect to face intense scrutiny from campaigners who have long argued that the company’s beef-dominated supply chain and reliance on disposable packaging inevitably results in significant environmental impacts.
