KFC is a quick-service restaurant chain specialising in fried chicken, operating over 61,000 locations globally through a heavily franchised model.
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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.
KFC (Yum! Brands) scores 32/100 (Below expectations) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Fees pay for the review, never the result. Last verified May 2026.
That places KFC (Yum! Brands) joint 557th of 847 companies scored, and joint 29th of 49 in Food Service / Restaurants.
Where KFC (Yum! Brands) sits among food service / restaurants peers.
Among the 49 major food service / restaurants brands we've scored, KFC (Yum! Brands) is tied =29th of 49, with 3 others.
Its three lowest-scoring questions, and what the evidence didn't show.
No TNFD disclosure, no nature footprint quantification, and poultry supply chain's land-use impacts unaddressed.
However, intensity targets mask absolute emissions: with one new restaurant opening every 2 hours across 61,000 locations, total system emissions likely stable or rising despite per-unit efficiency.
US corporate offices and 1,000 US company-owned restaurants on Green-e RECs (unbundled certificates, not PPAs).
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Evidence that isn't public can count through an evidence review.
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Get in touch →Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Transparency & Accountability (7/10, 6/10). Weakest on Nature & Biodiversity Impact and Emissions Trajectory (3/10, 4/10).
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above KFC (Yum! Brands).
GAIL's is a rapidly expanding bakery chain with substantive supply-chain sustainability work—regenerative flour sourcing, waste minimisation, nature partnerships—but zero operational emissions disclosure and aggressive growth actively increasing its footprint.
See the breakdown →Krispy Kreme has published initial sustainability disclosures but lacks emissions reduction targets, Scope 3 reporting, and water data.
See the breakdown →Caffè Nero has published minimal environmental data beyond mandatory UK SECR filings and set no science-based targets or net-zero commitments.
See the breakdown →The formula and all 16 sources.
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale16 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
10 of 16 sources are independent of the company.
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
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.
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