A digital van is stoped in front a big M from McDonalds. The digital van have messages from the McBurn & Burp Awards, a mobilization action from Mighty Earth

McDonald’s Big McMess

Time to Clean up its Nature & Climate Impact

Overview

McDonald’s is the largest fast-food restaurant in the world, with $26.9 billion in revenue in 2025. It serves 70 million people a day in more than 100 countries. Due to its size and global reach, McDonald’s could drive sustainable and just practices in food systems around the world. Instead, the McDonald’s menu — heavily reliant on beef, chicken, and dairy — is contributing to a climate and nature crisis. Last year, McDonald’s emitted about 60.5 million metric tons of CO2 – that’s the equivalent of 16 coal-fired power plants.

McDonald’s has publicly committed to:

Reduce greenhouse gases by 2030 by 16-50.4% (depending on the category).
Net-zero emissions across its entire business and value chain by 2050.
A deforestation-free supply chain by 2030.

Yet McDonald’s emissions are trending upwards and are not on track to meet those goals. Its major beef and soy suppliers — including JBS and Cargill — have been repeatedly linked to Amazon deforestation. And as McDonald’s pursues its “Accelerating the Arches” global expansion strategy, the gap between the company’s climate promises and its growth strategy is getting wider. McDonald’s can and must do better — this is a company with the scale and influence to make a real difference.

What We’re Asking McDonald’s To Do

Scale diverse protein options globally. McDonald’s already offers plant-based options in France, Germany, and the Netherlands and the UK. It’s time to bring that ambition to every market — with real investment in marketing and competitive pricing.

Disclose and reduce methane emissions. Beef production releases methane — a greenhouse gas 86 times more powerful than CO₂ over 20 years. McDonald’s doesn’t mention methane once in its annual climate report. That needs to change, along with a concrete reduction target and action plan.

Eliminate deforestation from global supply chains. Full traceability and transparency for beef and soy. Drop suppliers linked to deforestation. Publicly defend the Amazon Soy Moratorium – the voluntary agreement McDonald’s helped create in 2008 that is now under threat. And ensure deforestation and land conversion are no longer occurring along coastlines and catchment, which can harm sensitive habitats like the Great Barrier Reef.

We Went to Las Vegas to Give McDonald’s an Award

In June 2026, McDonald’s held its Worldwide Convention in Las Vegas to plan for the future of the brand. 15,000+ franchisees, suppliers, and corporate staff from around the world convened at the Las Vegas Convention Center. We showed up too. We wanted to make sure the “McFamily” knew the world is watching.

McBurn & Burp Award

Randy McMethane and the Land-Burglar try to present the inaugural Burp & Burn Award to CEO Chris Kempczinski — for making an extraordinary mess of McDonald’s climate and nature commitments. Then we took to the Las Vegas Strip and asked people what they knew about McDonald’s climate impact.

We’ve Been Trying to Have a Conversation

Mighty Earth has made repeated attempts to connect with McDonald’s corporate headquarters. We have written to CEO Chris Kempczinski directly. We are still waiting for a response.

McDonald’s has the size, the resources, and the reach to be a genuine force for climate and nature. We’re calling on the company to step up — and we’re calling on you to help make that happen.