TODAY: Join Us for a Twitter Chat with McDonald's Corporation

#McDSustainability will take place on May 7, 2014 at 10am PST / 1pm EST. Join us for a lively discussion with McDonald's! 

When a company like McDonald's with a worldwide presence and a complex network of stakeholders creates a corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy, you expect flavor, complexity and challenges. And lots of discussion about the "right" approach.

For the fast food giant, which restructured its CSR and sustainability team in 2012 to focus on developing a strategic framework, the process was, shall we say, meaty. Like a well-balanced meal, McDonald’s has put five portions on its CSR plate: Food, Sourcing, Planet, People and Community.

The company's aspirational goals for 2020 include:

• Supporting sustainable beef production by collaborating to develop global principles and criteria


• Increasing the amount of in-restaurant recycling by 50% at company-owned restaurants


• Developing goals to reduce sodium, sugar, saturated fat or calories across the menu

“Our new CSR framework demonstrates our intent to grow the business while having a positive impact on society,” said Bob Langert, VP of Sustainability at McDonald’s. “Now, more than ever, customers care about their food and where it comes from. They want to know what companies like McDonald’s are doing to improve the world in which they live. Because of our size and scale, we can influence change for the better.”

Using the 2012-2013 CSR and Sustainability Report as a foundation, TriplePundit's Nick Aster and CSRwire's Aman Singh will host a live conversation on May 7, 2014, with Bob Langert, a 30-year McDonald's veteran and passionate proponent of context and materiality.

FOLLOW ALONG LIVE HERE Tweets about "#McDSustainability"

Among the questions we hope to cover:

• How is it leveraging its brand presence to shift consumer behavior?


• How will McDonald's fulfill its sustainability goals across its independent franchises?


• What do the next 50 years hold for its impact on waste, recycling, sourcing and animal welfare?


• What is the company doing to reduce sodium, sugar and/or saturated fat across its menu?


• What are some of the challenges it's facing in aligning taste preferences with nutrition?

Here’s what you need to know:

• Date: May 7, 2014 at 10am PST / 1pm EST


• Hashtag: #McDSustainability


• Speaker: Bob Langert, McDonald’s VP of Sustainability - @McdonaldsCorp


• Moderators: @AmanSinghCSR of @CSRwire & @NickAster of @TriplePundit

To register, send out the following tweet:

I'll join @CSRwire & @TriplePundit to discuss how @McdonaldsCorp is addressing #McDSustainability challenges http://bit.ly/McDonaldsChat. 

About Our Stakeholder Engagement Campaigns

We regularly conduct webinars and Twitter chats with our partner CSRwire. These chats are aimed at taking a pulse of our community, sharing knowledge and inspiring action. Whether the topic is sustainable living, shared value or responsible careers, these interactive sessions help our clients push their communication boundaries and also gain valuable feedback, criticism and the attention of an active and engaged community.

Got a question for the McDonald's team? Send it to nick@triplepundit.com.