KFC (Yum! Brands)·Food Service / Restaurants·Louisville, United States·Founded 1930·Last verified 31 May 2026
32
out of 100
Below expectationsPending Review

KFC operates 98% franchised restaurants, severely limiting emissions visibility and control. Scope 3 targets are intensity-based rather than absolute—masking likely growth in total emissions despite per-unit improvements. The company withdrew from animal welfare commitments in 2026 and lost SBTi net-zero validation in 2024, signalling credibility erosion.

The calculation

Every score shows its working.

Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale
Industry base impact
Food Service / Restaurants sector ceiling.
45 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
46 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 45) + (0.7 × 46) = 45.7
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.7
Final score
Rounded. Below expectations.
32 / 100
The ten questions

Where KFC (Yum! Brands) is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Transparency & Accountability (7/10, 6/10). Weakest on Nature & Biodiversity Impact and Targets & Commitments (3/10, 4/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

16 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.

10 of 16 sources are third-party verified or public record.

[1]Self-reported
2024 Statement of GHG Emissions Assurance
2024
Q1
View →
[2]Third-party verified
Ditch Carbon: KFC organisational profile
Ongoing
Q2
View →
[3]Public record
Yum! Brands 2023 Sustainability Report: ambitious goals, real progress and opportunities
2023
Q2Q5
View →
[4]Public record
Career advice: executive leading sustainability KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell
Unknown
Q2Q3Q8
View →
[5]Self-reported
Yum! Brands 2024 Global Citizenship Sustainability Report
2024
Q3
View →
[6]Public record
Yum! Brands reports progress on carbon reduction
2024
Q3Q4
View →
[7]Public record
Yum! Brands commits to 46% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
Unknown
Q4
View →
[8]Self-reported
Yum! Brands, Inc - CDP Climate 2023
2023
Q4
View →
[9]Public record
KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut adopt zero deforestation policy for palm oil
2015
Q5
View →
[10]Public record
Food brands break frankenchickens promise
2026
Q5Q10
View →
[11]Self-reported
R4GG 2024 Report
2024
Q6Q7
View →
[12]Public record
Yum! Brands makes progress on carbon reduction, packaging and equality
2024
Q6
View →
[13]Self-reported
Yum! Brands, Inc - CDP Water 2023
2023
Q7
View →
[14]Self-reported
Yum! Brands Impact: Planet / Climate Action
Ongoing
Q8
View →
[15]Third-party verified
SBTi names and shames big-name food businesses for failing to meet target-setting deadlines
2024
Q8Q10
View →
[16]Public record
KFC greenwashing video
Unknown
Q10
View →

If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.

KFC (Yum! Brands) in context

Where KFC (Yum! Brands) sits among food service / restaurants peers.

Among the 46 major food service / restaurants brands we've scored, KFC (Yum! Brands) is tied =25th of 46, with 4 others.

=25/46
KFC (Yum! Brands)'s rank
34
Industry average
19
Industry low
50
Industry high
How this score has moved

KFC (Yum! Brands)'s score over time.

today

Score history begins 4 April 2026.

As KFC (Yum! Brands)'s score updates, the trajectory will appear here.

We're backfilling historical scores for FTSE 100 and S&P 100 companies over the coming weeks.

What's being contested

This score is not currently being contested.

Every challenge is published. We'd rather be corrected than wrong — that's the whole point.

No challenges submitted yet. If you have evidence that contradicts this score, you can challenge any question above — cite a public source and we'll review it.

About KFC (Yum! Brands)

KFC is a quick-service restaurant chain specialising in fried chicken, operating over 61,000 locations globally through a heavily franchised model. Founded in 1930 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, KFC is owned by Yum! Brands alongside Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. It dominates the global QSR chicken category.

Founded
1930
Headquarters
Louisville, United States
Employees
~40,000 (corporate); ~1M+ system-wide
Annual revenue
~$7.55B (FY2024)
Company website ↗
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