Yum China Holdings, Inc. (the “Company” or “Yum China“,NYSE: YUMC and HKEX: 9987) announced that KFC China is introducing a series of green marketing campaigns to promote more sustainable lifestyles and increase consumer awareness of eco-friendly behavior.
“Leveraging our strong online and offline connections with consumers, we hope to increase environmental awareness among the public by encouraging and rewarding more eco-friendly choices,” said Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China. “In the future, we will explore more innovative ways to motivate consumers and other stakeholders to join us on our journey to drive meaningful change and contribute to a more sustainable planet.”
In December, KFC launched an interactive section on its Super App addressing topics including “Exploring Carbon Reduction” and “The Journey to Carbon Neutrality”. KFC is also partnering with influential brand ambassadors to bolster customer engagement and encourage consumers to adopt low carbon lifestyles. To promote carbon reduction actions, KFC has introduced a green rewards program that encourages and incentivizes behaviors such as mobile ordering and in-store pickup, opting out of using disposable cutlery, reducing food waste and waste sorting. KFC is calling on consumers to record their carbon reduction contributions using the Super App in return for “green points” that can be exchanged for special coupons.
Launched simultaneously at over 7,900 stores across the country, KFC’s green rewards program was accessible to more than 320 million KFC members. During the three-week campaign period that ended on December 20, more than 28 million KFC members across the country actively participated in the campaign and completed over 63 million Super App check-ins and carbon reduction actions, leading to a total carbon reduction of 145 tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e).
Meanwhile, KFC has launched an oat drink to its breakfast menu, its first “carbon zero” product. The carbon footprint of the oat drink has been certified by a 3rd party institution. To offset any environmental impact of the oat drink, KFC has joined hands with the China Green Carbon Foundation to plant trees and launch the “KFC Carbon Neutral Forest” project in Baoshan city in Yunnan province.
The new green rewards program and sustainable menu choice are the latest steps taken by Yum China to promote environmental protection and climate action. In December 2020, Yum China launched a series of plastic reduction and environmentally friendly packaging initiatives across its brands in line with the latest regulation in China. At the same time, KFC has installed assorted waste bins in restaurants in 46 cities while providing customers with helpful sorting guidance. In addition, KFC has expanded its pilot food bank program to reduce food waste, covering over 120 KFC restaurants in 23 cities as of the end of December 2021.
Yum China has taken an increasingly active stance on environmental issues such as climate change and the environmental footprint of its supply chain. In June 2021, Yum China signed the Business Ambition for 1.5⁰C Commitment Letter, as part of the global Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), demonstrating the Company’s commitment to climate action and support of the Paris Agreement goal to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We intend all forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and by the use of forward-looking words such as “expect,” “expectation,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “may,” “could,” “intend,” “belief,” “aim,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “predict,” “project,” “likely,” “will,” “continue,” “should,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “look forward to” or similar terminology. These statements are based on current estimates and assumptions made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances, but there can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and could cause our actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by those statements. We cannot assure you that any of our expectations, estimates or assumptions will be achieved. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release, and we disclaim any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law. All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty. You should consult our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the information set forth under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q) for additional detail about factors that could affect our financial and other results.
