McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) has set an ambitious goal of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 by applying new rules to everything from beef in burgers to light bulbs in fast-food restaurants, Reuters writes.
McDonald's goal includes emissions from direct sources, such as corporate offices and restaurants, as well as indirect sources, such as franchise restaurants and from suppliers' goods and services.
The U.S. corporation is partnering with the international Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) platform to implement this goal and update its existing climate change goals.
McDonald's goal is to reduce absolute emissions by about a third by 2030, both from supplier operations and from about 40,000 corporate and franchise restaurants around the world.
Meanwhile, the goal set by the UN is to achieve zero global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 in order to limit the global temperature rise to at least 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
To meet this goal, companies are required to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and offset any remaining emissions with sequestration projects, and more than 1,000 companies have already made similar commitments.
Funds managing nearly $30 trillion in assets are asking companies to do the same: Last Wednesday, they called on 1,600 of the world's most polluting companies to set science-based emissions reduction targets, as addressing climate change amid wildfires, drought and floods has become urgent.
McDonald's is the largest purchaser of beef in the world. About 80 percent of its total emissions come from the use of beef, chicken, and dairy products. The corporation has committed to using the new SBTi guidelines it already works with to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, land use and forestry.
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