Yum! Brands Annual Citizenship & Sustainability Report Showcases Progress Around People, Food and Planet Pillars
KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill Parent Takes Strategic Action Across Its Priority Issues of Less Carbon, Better Packaging and More Equality
LOUISVILLE, Ky., July 11, 2023 /3BL/ - Today, Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) released its annual Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report, highlighting the Company’s progress on key issues that include less carbon, better packaging and more equality. The Company has a long history of strategic investment when it comes to the socially responsible growth, risk management and sustainable stewardship of its three priority pillars of People, Food and Planet, what Yum! calls its Recipe for Good Growth. Yum!’s Recipe for Good Growth strategy is grounded in the idea that its business will only endure if its brands are inclusive, sustainable and reflective of evolving employee, franchisee and other stakeholder needs.
“When we harness the collective power of Good and Growth together, we find they become mutually reinforcing and are capable of creating benefits for the people and communities we serve,” said Yum! Brands CEO David Gibbs. “Our brands continue to make investments in good growth like providing career pathways to more than a million restaurant team members worldwide, constructing and operating new energy efficient restaurants, and exploring innovations for sustainable packaging.”
The report reflects key areas of work announced since Yum!’s last published report in July 2022. It showcases progress against the Company’s existing public commitments and covers its citizenship and sustainability strategy. Because of its continued progress and transparent disclosure, Yum! Brands was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America for the sixth consecutive year, included on Newsweek's ranking of America's Most Responsible Companies in 2022 and listed on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index.
“I’m incredibly proud of the sustainability strategy that’s in place for our global organization as we further integrate our efforts into core operations,” said Jon Hixson, Yum! Brands Chief Sustainability Officer & Vice President of Government Affairs. “As we continue making progress, we’re collaborating closely with our teams, franchisees, suppliers, industry and NGO partners to find solutions that help all.”
Highlights from Yum!’s new Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report include:
People
- Continued on path to achieve gender parity in leadership roles by 2030, in alignment with Paradigm for Parity®, with 43% of global leadership roles held by women in 2022.
- Among OneTen Coalition’s highest-performing partners in terms of the number of new hires and promotions at company-owned stores and corporate offices.
- Funded and activated more than 30 social impact programs in 11 countries through Yum!’s Unlocking Opportunity Initiative.
- KFC launched the Next Generation of Women Program to accelerate women’s professional development and retention.
- Taco Bell Business School, a six-week program designed to give those interested in becoming restaurant leaders a head start, completed its fourth cohort since launching in 2022.
- The Habit Burger Grill’s long-term partnership with No Kid Hungry gives guests the option of rounding up their bills to support the nonprofit – raising $270,000 in the fourth quarter of 2022 alone.
Food
- On track toward commitment to transition to 100% cage-free eggs for 25,000 restaurants by 2026, including the U.S., Western Europe and other leading markets, across all brands and for all menu items and ingredients.
- KFC rolled out its global chicken welfare platform and published chicken welfare reports for both the U.S. and Western Europe.
- Pizza Hut continues to make progress on plant-based offerings worldwide, with plant-based protein toppings available in 17 countries and vegan cheeses available in Europe.
- Taco Bell continues to invest in research and sector engagements within the beef supply chain to reduce the use of antibiotics important to human health in its U.S. and Canada beef sourcing.
Planet
- Continued to make progress against science-based targets that include achieving a 57% absolute reduction in corporate restaurants and offices (Scope 1 & 2) compared to 2019, and a 25% reduction in per-restaurant emissions in franchise restaurants (Scope 3) compared to 2019.
- Conducted a global renewable energy study covering more than 10 countries and a majority of its electricity emissions to support progress on Yum!’s climate transition roadmap.
- Published harmonized, cross brand packaging policy to help drive focus on packaging priorities.
- Pizza Hut reached its goal of sourcing 50% of the dairy used to make its pizza cheese in the U.S. from dairy farms enrolled in an environmental stewardship program — two years ahead of schedule.
- Taco Bell announced a partnership with Cargill and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to address the environmental impacts of cattle grazing.
For more information and to view Yum! Brands’ new Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report visit www.yum.com/citizenship.
About Yum! Brands, Inc.
Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, and its subsidiaries franchise or operate a system of over 55,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories under the Company’s concepts – KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and the Habit Burger Grill. The Company's KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut brands are global leaders of the chicken, Mexican-style food, and pizza categories, respectively. The Habit Burger Grill is a fast casual restaurant concept specializing in made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches and more. In 2023, the KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut brands were ranked in the top five of Entrepreneur’s Top Global Franchises Ranking. In addition, in 2023 Yum! Brands was included on the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index; Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity; and Newsweek’s lists recognizing America’s Most Responsible Companies, America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women. In 2022, the Company was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America.