The 2021 report includes RBI’s sustainability targets and progress to date

TORONTO, June 16, 2022 – Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI) has published its second annual Restaurant Brands for Good report, summarizing highlights across the company’s framework and goals for serving guests the food and drinks they love, while contributing to a sustainable future and having a positive social impact in the communities RBI’s brands¹, Burger King®, Tim Hortons® and Popeyes® serve.

RBI is committed to operating a sustainable business and as part of this commitment, Restaurant Brands for Good was created as a platform comprised of three pillars: the food we serve, the planet we live on and the people and communities we support.

“At Restaurant Brands International, our goal is to build the most loved restaurant brands in the world. And in doing so, we remain committed to making real change with the choices we make every day,” says José Cil, Chief Executive Officer, Restaurant Brands International. “We must remain vigilant in doing what’s right with integrity and heart and being a part of the solution that we, our guests, employees, franchisees and partners believe in. We have a real opportunity to implement local changes that make global impacts.”

“The sustainability of our business is a priority to us, and we are dedicated to doing our part in helping to protect the planet for future generations,” says Becky Hall, Director, Sustainability, Restaurant Brands International. “Given our global scale, we have the opportunity to be a leader in our industry by employing a sustainability-led mindset across various aspects of our brands. Restaurant Brands for Good and its pillars allow us to prioritize, act and invest in the future.”

Highlights from the 2021 Restaurant Brands for Good report:

Food

RBI’s brands are committed to safe, high-quality, and great-tasting food. As our brands continue to make strides in improving the quality of their ingredients as well as providing choice and transparency, milestones achieved to date include:

• Burger King U.S. has banned more than 120 ingredients from the food menu, and at Burger King restaurants globally, we’ve made similar ingredient changes in the Whopper® sandwich in 48 countries.
• Tim Hortons Canada introduced freshly cracked eggs across the country in 2021. Tim Hortons Canada has also committed to sourcing milk, cream, butter, cheese, eggs, as well as potatoes for hash browns and wedges from Canada.
• For Popeyes U.S., all chicken and eggs for batter come from American farms, while red beans are grown in Colorado, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
• Globally, RBI’s brands are continuing to expand options for guests looking for plant-based menu items. Burger King has launched menu items like the Long Chicken™ sandwich and plant-based nuggets in a variety of markets in 2021, and plant-based burgers² have now been introduced at Burger King in 70 markets. Additionally, Tim Hortons Canada began serving plant-based oat beverages at restaurants across the country in 2021, complementing the dairy-free almond beverage made available since 2020.

Planet

Key areas of influence within RBI’s commitment to the planet are climate action, packaging and recycling, as well as responsible sourcing, including protecting forests, and animal health and welfare.

RBI is working to be part of the solution to address climate change. In 2021, we set ambitious climate targets including achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner, and in the interim, achieving science-based targets (SBTs) for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030:

• By 2030, aiming to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 50% compared to a 2019 base year.
• Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions intensity by 50% per metric ton of food, and per franchise restaurant.

Across our planet pillar, key milestones we have achieved to date include:

• In 2021, we joined the Supplier Leadership on Climate Transition consortium to engage and assist suppliers in accelerating climate action by addressing their own Scope 3 emissions.
• We announced our support of a five-year regenerative agriculture program in the Southern Great Plains with Cargill and the National Fish and Wildlife Fund in April 2022.
• We’ve purchased renewable energy certificates to cover 100% of 2021 electricity use for directly-controlled and our corporate owned or leased³ operations in North America.
• We purchased 30 electric vehicles that will function as a pilot to validate their operational effectiveness within our car fleet.⁴
• Pilot testing of reusable and returnable takeout packaging has been launched at select Tim Hortons restaurants in Canada and select Burger King restaurants in the US and in the UK⁴
• Across Burger King, Popeyes, and Tim Hortons globally, EPS foam has been phased out from centrally-managed approved guest packaging.⁴
• The chicken used in approved products for both Burger King and Popeyes U.S. is now raised⁴ without the use of antibiotics important to human medicine as defined by the World Health Organization⁵

People and Communities

RBI continues to take action to become more diverse and to foster a culture of inclusion that celebrates unique strengths, perspectives and talents every day, while we aim to operate as a responsible member of our communities. It’s about creating a positive ecosystem that is positioned to thrive together. Our primary areas of focus within people and communities include: diversity, equity and inclusion, talent development, supporting our communities, ethics and human rights, and improving supplier livelihoods.

Milestones we’ve achieved to date across this pillar, include:

• Since we established a target in mid-2020 for at least 50% of final round interview candidates for any corporate role within RBI to be demonstrably diverse, we have surpassed the target each quarter, and the outcome is that 61% of 2021 corporate hires through our new process have added to the diversity of our company.
• At Tim Hortons, over $27 million CAD was raised in 2021 and early 2022 for Tim Hortons Foundation Camps and other community initiatives, including supporting residential school survivor organizations in Canada and programs to promote inclusion in sport through Special Olympics Canada.
• Since 2000, Burger King has provided nearly $55 million USD in scholarships to high school seniors and Burger King corporate and franchisee employees, through the Burger King Scholars Program.
• Focused on hunger relief efforts, the Popeyes Foundation has donated over $1.2 million USD to support No Kid Hungry as of March 2022.

The 2022 report summarizes our 2021 progress, unless noted otherwise, and currently does not reflect Firehouse Subs, which was acquired by RBI on December 15, 2021. To learn more about the sustainability initiatives of RBI and our brands, please visit www.rbi.com/sustainability   

About Restaurant Brands International Inc.

Restaurant Brands International Inc. is one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with over $35 billion in annual system-wide sales and over 29,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. RBI owns four of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands – TIM HORTONS®, BURGER KING®, POPEYES®, and FIREHOUSE SUBS®. These independently operated brands have been serving their respective guests, franchisees and communities for decades. Through its Restaurant Brands for Good framework, RBI is improving sustainable outcomes related to its food, the planet, and people and communities.

¹ This report summarizes our 2021 progress, unless noted otherwise, and currently does not reflect Firehouse Subs, which was acquired by RBI on December 15, 2021.

² Patty made from plants, and cooked on the same broiler as beef patties. Contains mayo. May vary by market.

³ Miami and Toronto Restaurant Support Centers, Tim Hortons Distribution Centers and Manufacturing Centers, and Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons corporate-owned restaurants in North America as of Dec. 31, 2021. Certificates purchased as of May 2022.

⁴ As of Q2 2022

⁵ As defined by the World Health Organization in Critically Important Antimicrobials for Human Medicine 6th Revision 2018