McDonald’s UK and Ireland has joined the Zero Carbon Forum as its latest member in the race to achieving net zero. The non-profit’s mission is to empower its members to reach sustainability targets by working together at pace and as a united industry effort.
The news follows the launch in October 2021 of McDonalds’s UK and Ireland’s Plan for Change, a business and sustainability strategy focusing on the Planet, People, Restaurants and Food.
The strategy outlines ambitious goals and actions to help achieve positive change across the business. Two of its aims include achieving net zero emissions for all restaurants and offices in the UK & Ireland by 2030, and net zero emissions across the entire business and value chain by 2040.
Mark Chapman, Zero Carbon Forum founder and Chief Executive said: “With over 1400 sites across the UK and Ireland, serving over 4 million customers each day, we are delighted to welcome McDonald’s UK and Ireland to the forum. It’s expansive knowledge and learnings as a socially responsible multinational organisation will be invaluable to all our members as we continue to march onwards to reach net zero.”
Beth Hart, Vice President Supply Chain and Brand Trust, McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said: “We are committed to achieving net zero emissions across our entire business and value chain by 2040, as part of our new sustainability framework Plan for Change*. However, we know that this is a challenge the entire industry faces and that sharing best practice is paramount to ensure we all get there.
“Joining the Zero Carbon Forum signals our intent to take industry-leading steps in this space, share our learnings, and contribute to the wider effort to achieve net zero emissions to create real, positive change.”
McDonald’s UK opened its first restaurant built to a UK industry net zero emissions standard at the end of 2021 and its learnings will be used across the company to create a blueprint for freehold new builds and help the business achieve its 2030 net zero emissions goal.
Features of the restaurant include kerb stones made from recycled plastic bottles, building cladding made from recycled IT equipment and household white goods and 92sqm of solar panels and two wind turbines to produce renewable energy.
The business is also continuing to decarbonise operations in all restaurants in order to achieve its 2030 net zero emissions goal.
Mark said: “We recognise the positive and progressive work that McDonald’s UK and Ireland is doing with its first restaurant built to the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) Net Zero standard. It wholly aligns with the importance, and strategic focus of the forum on scope 3 full supply chain emissions. Part of McDonald’s role with us as the forum will be to work collaboratively to tackle our joint food and beverage and agricultural emissions as a sector and we look forward to sharing and learning together to make real change happen.”
Beth added, “It’s a hugely positive step for us and the industry uniting to empower, share and commit to reaching net zero.”
The corporation is also working to improve beef sustainability by investing in research projects with partner, FAI Farms. It is currently investigating the benefits of applying regenerative principles to beef farming using adaptive multi-paddock grazing for beef cattle with expected environmental benefits such as better soil health, a greater diversity of wildlife and species, and an increase in the removal and storage of carbon.
Mark concluded, “Working with McDonald’s UK and Ireland, and our other leading hospitality member organisations further demonstrates the industry wide acknowledgement on the urgent need to tackle this climate crisis, as one, together.
