LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Yum! Brands Inc.'s first building under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program has been awarded LEED Gold certification, the company has announced.
With the assistance of sustainability and restaurant experts, Yum! Brands opened the KFC–Taco Bell restaurant in Northampton, Mass., in December of 2008.
"The certification fuels our passion and commitment to researching green building solutions and sets an example of what is possible for the restaurant industry," said Jonathan Balas, AIA, LEED AP, KFC Project Architect. "This building is our first step in this important effort."
The restaurant provides a testing lab to study the performance of green technologies and approaches to reduce the company's environmental impact. The design at the LEED certified KFC–Taco Bell is designed to use 30 percent less energy and water than a conventional building, cut carbon dioxide emissions, reduce waste going to landfillsâ„incinerators as well as educating visitors and employees on sustainable design.
In March 2009, Yum! Brands was named one of the "100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine for its ongoing commitment to corporate responsibility. Yum! Brands also issued its first Corporate Responsibility Report titled "Serving the World" during the fourth quarter of 2008.
The report examines Yum! Brands' social, environmental and economic impact based on company and external stakeholder expectations, with a focus on: corporate governance and ethics, public policy and government affairs, culture and people development, health and nutrition, environment, supply chain, and community giving.
