SHANGHAI, June 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Yum China Holdings, Inc. (the “Company” or “Yum China”, NYSE: YUMC and HKEX: 9987) today issued its 2020 Sustainability Report, which highlights the Company’s commitment to sustainability and provides an overview of progress made in 2020 towards its sustainability goals.
In 2020, Yum China engaged internal and external stakeholders to complete a comprehensive materiality review. As a result, the Company resolved to focus efforts around three pillars: Environment, Food and People. Within these, Yum China identified 23 material issues in the value chain to work on as initial sustainability priorities. In the report, progress made in 2020 has been summarized in accordance with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) best practices and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) rating requirements for corporate sustainability reporting. The report also highlights Yum China’s firm commitment to taking actions that contribute towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and supporting the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
“With more than 30 years of operations in China, our culture and our values have been built on a solid foundation of caring – for our customers and employees, and for society at large,” said Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China. “2020 was an extraordinary year, in which the world faced unprecedented disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic. I take great pride in how our people responded to help the communities we serve get through an incredibly trying time. As the world recovers, we are excited to turn our capabilities to the broader challenges of the future.”
As outlined in the report, Yum China strives to establish a responsible ecosystem and continuously address key sustainability issues, such as climate change, waste management and sustainable packaging. The Company has committed to a series of sustainability goals, including:
– Accelerating climate action: Yum China is committed to setting science-based emissions reduction targets in accordance with the Paris Agreement and is driving for net-zero GHGs emissions across the value chain by 2050.
– Minimizing environmental impact throughout the supply chain: Yum China is embarking on an ambitious journey to drive towards a zero-deforestation supply chain. To achieve this, Yum China has committed to achieving 100% FSC-certified paper packaging by 2025, and continues to only source RSPO-certified palm oil.
Focusing on areas where Yum China’s expertise and scale can have the most meaningful impact
The 2020 Sustainability Report shares progress across the three strategic pillars: Environment, Food and People. Highlights include:
Environment: Enhancing waste management. In September 2020, Yum China first piloted a Food Bank program to distribute surplus food to nearby residents in need and reduce food waste. The Company has also continued to expand its pilot project to recycle used cooking oil which adopts an ISCC certified process to convert used cooking oil into biodiesel.
Food: Technology-enabled food safety management. Yum China has established an intelligent online food safety and quality management system and utilizes food safety risk alert and assessment tools that leverage knowledge graphs. This enables real-time data collection and analysis, improves visibility of key processes, and supports timely rectification.
People: Employee care and serving the community. Yum China has always prioritized the well-being of its employees and is committed to serving the community. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Company quickly put in place contactless delivery and takeaway services to protect the health and safety of its employees and customers. The Company also launched an upgraded employee insurance policy and established a special fund to provide assistance for frontline employees and their families. In addition, Yum China also provided donations, free meals and volunteer services to support medical workers on the frontline.
Despite the challenges of 2020, Yum China is proud to have been recognized for its continuous efforts to make a positive impact on the environment and society. Yum China was named the Industry Leader for the Restaurant & Leisure Facilities Industry in the 2020 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) and was selected as a member of the 2020 DJSI World and DJSI Emerging Markets. In 2021, the Company was named to the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index and was certified as a Top Employer China by the Top Employers Institute, both for the third consecutive year.