Our green efforts — and overall progress under the broader umbrella of sustainability — are critical to the ongoing success of McDonald’s as both a business and a brand. Put simply, continuously improving our environmental performance makes us a stronger brand and a more sustainable company.

Like any global organization, we utilize our share of resources, and we understand that this doesn’t come free. Being a good global citizen means helping to sustain the earth and the bounty it provides. For McDonald’s, this is a multifaceted effort that stretches from our supply chain to our restaurants. It requires the efforts of all three legs of our three-legged stool — our franchisees, our suppliers and our employees — to seek and develop tangible business solutions that minimize our environmental impacts and contribute positively to the growth of the company.

The best practices outlined in this report highlight the progress we are making on multiple fronts. You will read about our commitment to energy solutions, including 20 energy-efficiency initiatives, carbon-reduction practices and green building advancements in more than a dozen markets. These are just a sampling of initiatives that are not only good for the business, but good for the world in which we operate as well. Through collaboration and information sharing, we will continue to develop sustainable solutions across our entire system.

Overall, these best practices give us all great confidence in our System’s ability to truly mainstream sustainability. But we know there is much more to do. So, we remain committed to using our size and scope to make a difference in the world.