Launched in 2011, the biodiesel program in partnership with Neutral Fuels has saved over 23 million kg of CO2 emissions compared to driving on regular petrol diesel
In the UAE, the rapid growth of the economy and population, while signaling prosperity, has also led to a dramatic increase in the demand for resources such as energy, food and water.
With a long-term approach in mind, the UAE government is committed to achieving more sustainable consumption and production, in line with the UN’s twelfth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG12). This calls for countries to move away from a ‘take, make, use, dispose’ operational mindset, and instead function sustainably within environmental limits, prioritising the wellbeing of both current and future generations. This commitment to a circular economy from a national perspective, plays an important role in contributing to the UAE’s Green Agenda 2030.
Understanding the collective responsibility towards driving sustainable change and providing tangible solutions, McDonald’s UAE, owned and operated by Emirates Fast Food Company LLC, has upheld environmental conservation as one of the core business objectives. Over the years, the company has consciously taken steps to embed sustainability at the heart of its operations and initiatives. This commitment is evident through the launch of the biodiesel program in 2011, a partnership with Neutral Fuels.
The biodiesel program ensures that used cooking oil from all of McDonald’s UAE’s restaurants is collected and converted into the alternative fuel used to power its delivery fleet of trucks. Neutral Fuels facilitates stringent collection and rigorous conversion processes for the cooking oil, resulting in biodiesel. Recently, McDonald’s UAE and Neutral Fuels achieved a significant milestone in their biodiesel journey, surpassing 25 million km powered by this sustainable fuel.
To date, over 10 million liters of used cooking oil has been converted into biodiesel. This has minimised McDonald’s UAE’s carbon footprint by saving 23 million kg of CO2 emissions which is equivalent to removing over 15 million cars off the road for a year, according to Informa PLC.
Beyond the biodiesel program, McDonald’s UAE also upholds a long-standing partnership with Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) spanning two decades. Together, they introduced the local community to multiple conservation initiatives. These include inviting students to tree planting opportunities at an expansive scale through the ‘Planting a Greener Future’ program, and many more.
Through its biodiesel program and the ongoing partnership with Emirates Environmental Group, McDonald’s UAE aims to play an active role in addressing sustainability concerns by establishing long term partnerships that serve the future of the UAE.