Dr Sam Mudie
Project Feature: KFC UK&I – Net Zero Carbon Plan
Name of the Project: Net Zero Carbon Strategy for KFC UK & Ireland Equity Estate
Name of Consultant: Dr Sam Mudie of Hospitality Energy Saving & Sustainability
The Challenge:
KFC Yum Global committed to reaching net zero carbon by 2040 but needed a robust, practical roadmap for reducing operational carbon across its corporate-owned estate. The sites are varied in size and layout, with older gas-based kitchens and limited metering infrastructure. With no clear baseline and numerous internal stakeholders, the challenge was to build consensus, quantify opportunity, and identify the right sequence of interventions.
What You Did / Work Carried Out:
HESS undertook full site-level energy audits, reviewing kitchen layouts, HVAC performance, refrigeration, hot-holding, and usage behaviours. We investigated over 20 different interventions from refrigeration technology retrofits alone such as SavaWatt and Fridge managers, door alarms, insulated curtains and fitting improved controls and insulation. After modelling the operations, based on data gathered from the client and our 10+ years of measuring energy consumption from foodservice operations throughout the UK, we developed a detailed carbon reduction pathway, aligning retrofit and equipment upgrade opportunities with carbon and monetary payback, maintenance lifecycles, ease of delivery and certainty of achieving the targets. Alongside technical interventions, we built in behavioural and cultural changes, linking site KPIs to sustainability actions. We also identified where metering and controls needed to improve for better decision-making.
The Result:
We delivered a clear 10-year investment plan, setting out priority actions for decarbonisation with real-world savings attached. The roadmap included:
- Gas-to-electric transitions
- Energy-efficient equipment swaps
- Refined BMS/HVAC controls
- Staff behaviour and awareness campaigns
- Submetering rollout to verify progress
The work outlined 19% carbon reductions of over 3,289 tonnes CO2e, saving £2.8 million in energy costs per year, and paying back the investment required in 2.21 years. Our plan has since been used to inform group-wide sustainability decision-making, and laid the groundwork for similar work across franchise sites and supplier operations both in the UK and abroad.
Any Particular Highlights or Challenges:
Engaging a wide range of internal stakeholders – from energy managers and procurement to kitchen operations – was a key success factor, but also a big challenge in a large organisation with stretched resources. We made the data digestible and the actions site-relevant. One particular challenge was aligning brand standards with energy best practice (e.g. hot-holding requirements vs. efficiency) – but by using monitored data and real examples, we helped shift mindsets and show what’s achievable.
