Using 2019 measurements as a baseline year, Wendy’s announced in early February 2023 that it was expanding its 2021 Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) to define project goals, says RSQ magazine. He wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 47% before the end of the decade. Several of the fast food brand’s goals include high-profile milestones. Wendy’s wants 35 restaurants in Florida to be entirely solar-powered by mid-decade, says duke energy. If this initiative goes well, the restaurant chain will expand on this by working with restaurateurs on the best way forward.
Wendy’s also aspires to remove 7.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (an amount produced by more than 1.5 million internal combustion engines) by reducing the energy consumed in restaurants and along the supply chain. Other plans include working with suppliers, farmers, franchisees, restaurants and utility companies to make all of Wendy’s products and buildings more sustainable by 2030.
Liliana Esposito, Wendy’s Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, told QSR: “To achieve these goals, Wendy’s will work across its system, including corporate operations, and in cooperation with franchisees. and suppliers, to turn commitment into action.” If successful, Wendy’s could in theory reduce costs by exploring sustainable options for its entire restaurant chain such as the local food supply, which RSQ previously noted is one step restaurants can take.