First, does anyone think that these investors do not have massive, gigantic carbon footprints themselves? Also, do you think they are pushing this because they Believe, or because they see a chance to make more money?
Investors Hungry for Action on Climate Change
A multi-trillion dollar investor coalition is demanding that the world’s largest fast-food brands, including McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza, and KFC, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water use in their supply chains.
The group – containing more than 80 investors worth over US$6.5 trillion (A$9 trillion) – said animal agriculture was one of the world’s highest-emitting sectors without a low-carbon plan.
In a letter sent by sustainability organisation Ceres and the FAIRR Initiative to six major fast-food brands, the companies have been asked to explain how they plan on enacting meaningful policies and targets to reduce the environmental impact of their meat and dairy suppliers.
The brands targeted are Domino’s Pizza, McDonald’s, Yum! Brands (owners of KFC and Pizza Hut), Restaurant Brands International (owners of Burger King), Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Wendy’s Co. Together they manage over 120,000 restaurants worldwide. (snip)
To highlight this, he noted that if cows were a country, they would be the world’s third largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
“A failure to tackle these major environmental problems in corporate supply chains puts the long-term financial sustainability of these household names under threat,†Coller said.
“Investors are calling for more strategic and innovative thinking to manage these risks.â€
When these people stop eating $110 a pound Kobe beef for snacks and give up their own use of fossil fuels, move out of their giant mansions and into tiny homes, I’ll consider listening.
It should be pointed out every time you mention cows that one quarter of the cattle in the US are dairy cattle. As long as they are producing milk, they live (and fart). When they stop producing, they become the cheap meat that allows you to but a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese at McDonalds for $4.79 or a regular cheeseburger with 1/5 of a pound of meat for $1.00. Wall Street Journal reports “While food and packaging costs just 45 cents for a double cheese burger”. Assuming that half of that is the 2/5th of a pound of meat, the meat at McDonald’s goes for about $1.00 per pound.
Before they make it to McDonald’s they provide all the milk, cheese, butter, custard, cottage cheese, cream, yogurt (can’t live with yogurt) and any recipe that uses milk, butter, etc. This includes some breads, cookies (!), and New England clam chowder. Google recipes with milk and add your own.
In 2016 the dairy sector contributed 5.7 billion pounds (22.7%) of beef through cull cows and finished dairy steers and heifers to the U.S. beef supply chain
Ironically, in order to do away with the McDonald’s fast food meat that everyone loves to condemn, you would have to do away with the entire list of dairy products.
Sorry – can’t live without yogurt!
Why haven’t these 80+ investors pooled their money and funded CO2 and Methane capture and use. Or reforestation projects. Or are they just one-trick ponies virtue signaling with their demands that somebody else do something?