McDonald’s opens its first LEED net-zero certified “Zero Restaurant” in Shenzhen
October the 15th marks the grand opening of the Meisha Vanke McDonald’s restaurant in Shenzhen, designed and constructed to meet the rigorous LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) net-zero certification standards. This restaurant becomes China’s first “Zero Restaurant,” achieving all four LEED net-zero certifications: Zero Carbon, Zero Energy, Zero Waste, and Zero Water. Once data collection and verification are completed, it will also be the world’s first fast-food restaurant to achieve all four certifications.
To celebrate this milestone, McDonald’s China partnered with PINKFONG’s Baby Shark, launching a themed song and music video to engage consumers in embracing a low-carbon lifestyle through creative content and interactions.
Restaurants are at the core of McDonald’s business, and the company employs a “point and surface” approach to promote green initiatives. By certifying a significant number of restaurants under LEED standards, McDonald’s aims to create a positive environmental impact while exploring innovative pilot programs to set new benchmarks in green dining.
Located within the Yantian District's pioneering green near-zero carbon community, the Meisha Vanke restaurant showcases McDonald’s commitment to sustainable development. The “Zero Restaurant” operates entirely on electricity from rooftop solar panels, with a carbon footprint close to zero. It implements waste classification, recycling, and uses advanced technologies for processing organic waste, achieving a “waste-free operation.”
Moreover, 70% of the cooling equipment utilizes low-GWP (Global Warming Potential) refrigerants, reducing GWP by 70%, marking a first for McDonald’s China. The restaurant also employs innovative materials like carbon-sequestering bricks, which capture approximately 380 kg of CO2.
The Meisha Vanke Center provides a robust foundation for achieving high standards in carbon emissions, energy use, waste management, and water resources, signifying a new milestone in McDonald’s green restaurant journey.
