Carbon Footprint — Operations: How does Burger King score?

RBI (parent company) reports Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions following the GHG Protocol, with data published in the annual Restaurant Brands for Good report and CDP responses. However, Burger King-specific operational emissions are not separately broken out from RBI's consolidated figures. The 2024 report includes Scope 1 and 2 data across all brands but granular BK-only figures are not publicly available. Corporate facilities claim ~99% renewable electricity via credits. Some methodology is disclos

Carbon Footprint — Supply Chain: How does Burger King score?

RBI's 2024 report quantifies total Scope 3 emissions at 28,937,358 tCO2e, broken down by category: Purchased Goods & Services (81.7%, 23.6Mt), Franchises (16.1%, 4.7Mt), and others. Beef is identified as the largest contributor, declining from 52% to 48% of the inventory in 2024. This represents meaningful Scope 3 quantification with category-level granularity across the value chain. However, supplier-level engagement remains at early/pilot stage, and the franchise model limits direct control.

Emissions Trajectory: How does Burger King score?

RBI reports a 3.7% decrease in Scope 3 emissions compared to its 2022 baseline, with beef's share declining from 52% to 48%. However, Scope 3 targets are intensity-based (per metric ton of food, per franchise restaurant), not absolute. With RBI planning aggressive expansion to 40,000+ restaurants by 2028, absolute emissions could rise even as intensity falls. The company is growing rapidly (5%+ net restaurant growth annually), which fundamentally conflicts with absolute emissions reduction. Inte

Energy Source: How does Burger King score?

RBI claims ~99% renewable electricity for corporate-owned and directly controlled facilities globally, primarily through credit purchases. In Spain, 750+ Burger King restaurants signed a renewable PPA with Iberdrola for solar energy, and nearly 300 restaurants installed on-site solar panels via EDP. BK has transitioned 31% of its North American field fleet to EVs. However, the vast majority of BK restaurants are franchised, and franchisee energy sourcing is not centrally controlled or reported.

Nature & Biodiversity Impact: How does Burger King score?

Burger King has faced severe, documented criticism for supply chain deforestation. Mighty Earth's 'Ultimate Mystery Meat' report linked BK to over a million acres of deforestation via suppliers Cargill and Bunge in Brazil's Cerrado. The Union of Concerned Scientists scored BK zero out of 100 on deforestation commitments. BK pledged to eliminate deforestation by 2030, but scientists and NGOs criticized this as too slow and inadequate. A regenerative agriculture partnership with Cargill/NFWF was l

Resource Use & Waste: How does Burger King score?

BK has piloted reusable packaging with TerraCycle's Loop in select cities and tested green packaging alternatives for Whopper wraps (13-34% paper reduction) and alternative cutlery materials. RBI reported diverting 10,000 tonnes of operational waste and set targets for 100% sustainable packaging by 2025 and 10% virgin plastic reduction by 2026. BK UK set goals for zero single-use plastics by 2025. However, as a fast food chain serving billions of meals annually, the core business model generates

Water Impact: How does Burger King score?

Burger King has no publicly disclosed water consumption data, water footprint measurement, or water stewardship programme. As a beef-centric fast food chain, BK's supply chain water footprint is enormous — beef production requires 28 times more water per pound than chicken. UNEP estimates a single quarter-pound beef burger requires ~1,695 litres of water. With ~19,700 restaurants globally, the embedded water footprint across the supply chain is substantial. No water-specific targets, reduction m

Targets & Commitments: How does Burger King score?

RBI's SBTi-approved targets (2021) include 50% absolute reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2030 and net-zero by 2050. However, Scope 3 targets are intensity-based (50% per metric ton of food, 50% per franchise restaurant) — not absolute. For a company planning to grow from 32,000 to 40,000+ restaurants, intensity targets allow absolute emissions to rise. This is a significant weakness. The 2024 report shows RBI is enhancing its FLAG (Forest, Land, Agriculture) emissions approach and monitorin

Transparency & Accountability: How does Burger King score?

RBI publishes annual Restaurant Brands for Good reports (2021-2024), discloses via CDP, follows GRI, SASB, and TCFD frameworks, and reports emissions by scope and category. RBI has a Head of Global Sustainability and was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for three consecutive years. However, Burger King-specific data is not separately broken out, and emissions are consolidated at the parent level. The franchise model limits visibility into operational practices across 19,

Controversies & Red Flags: How does Burger King score?

Starting at 8, deductions: Mighty Earth's 'Ultimate Mystery Meat' report documented BK's link to 1M+ acres of deforestation via suppliers Cargill and Bunge in South America's Cerrado (-3). Union of Concerned Scientists scored BK zero on deforestation in 2016 (-1). Burger King's 'Reduced Methane Whopper' campaign was identified as greenwashing by the Changing Markets Foundation, which noted the claimed 30% methane reduction was closer to 3% based on full lifecycle; the ad was pulled after backlas

Burger King Sustainability Score: 24/100

Recently scored: Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe, WPP

507 companies scored·4 score updates this week

Burger King·Food Service / Restaurants·Miami-Dade County, United States·Founded 1954·Last verified 21 April 2026

out of 100

Significant gapsPending Review

Burger King's sustainability record is defined by supply chain deforestation, greenwashing, and intensity-based targets that allow absolute emissions to rise despite aggressive expansion. Water use is undisclosed. Deforestation linked to 1M+ acres via Cargill and Bunge; methane reduction claims debunked by Changing Markets Foundation. Growth to 40,000+ restaurants by 2028 undermines climate pledges.

No challenges currently filed

The calculation

Every score shows its working.

Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale

Industry base impact

Food Service / Restaurants sector ceiling.

45 / 100

Performance score

Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.

30 / 100

Raw score

Weighted average before scale penalty.

(0.3 × 45) + (0.7 × 30) = 34.5

Scale penalty

Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.

× 0.7

Final score

Rounded. Significant gaps.

24 / 100

The ten questions

Where Burger King is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Supply Chain and Transparency & Accountability (5/10, 5/10). Weakest on Controversies & Red Flags and Water Impact (1/10, 1/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

17 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.

[1]Self-reported

2024 Restaurant Brands for Good Report

2024

Q1Q2Q3

Every score shows its working.

Where Burger King is strong, and where it isn't.

Every document used, listed.

Where Burger King sits among food service / restaurants peers.

Burger King's score over time.

This score is not currently being contested.

Related companies worth a look.

We'll let you know when the score moves.

Which companies moved this week, and why.