Restaurant Brands International, the parent company of global quick-service restaurant chains Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes, has announced new commitments to help address climate change.
RBI says it will collaborate with franchisees and suppliers to pursue science-based targets (SBTs) for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50 per cent by 2030. It also aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner.
The goals are part of the company’s targets to seek to achieve business growth without emissions growth.
“As one of the largest quick-service restaurant companies in the world, we have a critical role to play in addressing the threat of global climate change, which is important for our planet and for our guests,” said José E. Cil, Chief Executive Officer of RBI. “We’ve done the hard work to determine where we stand, where we can make the most meaningful impact, and the actions we need to take to move the needle. With these ambitious targets, we are accelerating our efforts to promote a more sustainable future and continue on our journey to build the most loved restaurant brands in the world.”
RBI’s GHG emissions targets
- SBTs: Compared to a 2019 base year, by 2030, RBI aims to reduce:
- Absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 50 per cent
- Scope 3 GHG emissions intensity by 50 per cent per metric ton of food
- Scope 3 GHG emissions intensity by 50 per cent per franchise restaurant
- Net-Zero: RBI also aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050
Anticipated impact
Acknowledging there is “much work ahead,” Restaurant Brands International says that achieving these targets would prevent an estimated 25.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions from being released into the atmosphere by 2030 as compared to a business-as-usual scenario. This is comparable to taking 5.5 million passenger cars off the road in the U.S. for an entire year – or the total number of household vehicles in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City combined.
