How McDonald's Vorarlberg Is Implementing Regional Climate Protection Measures
Key takeaways from this article
- Climate action right on our doorstep: McDonald’s Vorarlberg supports forest projects in Bludenz, the Montafon, the Klostertal, and on the Jagdberg—all within a 45-minute drive of its restaurants. This is an example of how chain restaurants can make a real difference in regional climate action.
- Support for local forestry operations: The purchase of CO₂ credits helps finance necessary measures such as sustainable reforestation, forest management, and nature conservation.
- Hands-on sustainability: A personalized impact dashboard makes support transparent, while joint team events in the forest allow employees to experience climate protection firsthand.
- Long-term commitment: Instead of one-time support, McDonald's Vorarlberg is focusing on a multi-year partnership.
The Starting Point
Loek Versluis operates five McDonald's restaurants in Vorarlberg with 345 employees. As a family business, he takes responsibility—not only for his team and his guests, but for the entire region. For him, the question was never “if,” but “how”: He wanted climate protection that people could experience right here in their community.
The Partnership: Strengthening Vorarlberg’s Forests for Tomorrow
To meet this goal, McDonald's Vorarlberg has been partnering with Pina Earth since 2025. The focus is on the region's natural environment. The project sites being supported are located no more than a 45-minute drive from the restaurant locations: forests in Bludenz, the Montafon, the Klostertal, and Jagdberg.
Foresters there have always done outstanding work and tend to the forests with great care. However, the climate crisis is taking a massive toll on the forests in Vorarlberg as well. Through this partnership and the targeted purchase of CO₂ credits, additional funds are flowing exactly where forestry operations need support right now.
To make this support easier to understand, a dedicated impact dashboard was developed for McDonald’s. It shows which specific forest conservation measures are being funded:
- Future-Proof Reforestation & Regeneration: Ensuring that the forests of tomorrow grow to be stable and climate-resilient.
- Active Forest Management & Removal of Damaged Trees: To relieve pressure on existing stands and keep them healthy.
- Targeted Nature Conservation & Wildlife Management: For a Healthy Ecosystem and the Enhancement of Biodiversity.
The result: The valuable work of local forestry operations is directly supported, and more CO₂ is stored in the forest over the long term.
"We are making targeted investments in our region to protect Vorarlberg's forests as vital CO₂ sinks and natural resources for future generations.
— Loek Versluis, Managing Director of McDonald's Vorarlberg"
Experiencing the Forest Together
To kick off the partnership, Pina Earth and McDonald's Vorarlberg invited the restaurant team to a “Forest Walk” in the Montafon project area. Accompanied by forester Andreas Drexel, the employees learned firsthand what sustainable forest management is all about and symbolically planted a tree together.
For the company, this is much more than just a team outing: When people get hands-on with climate protection, they understand the purpose and the bigger picture behind it. This strengthens their sense of belonging, creates shared memories, and transforms sustainability from a line in the annual report into a value that is actively lived out.
Tree-planting event with Loek Versluis, Managing Director of McDonald's Vorarlberg, and a forester from the Montafon project
Long-term rather than one-time
This partnership is intentionally designed to last for several years. After all, a real impact on the climate is not achieved through a one-time contribution, but through ongoing commitment. This ensures that CO₂ remains sequestered over the long term and that regional ecosystems benefit from it in a sustainable way.
Forester Andreas Drexel talks about the many challenges of sustainable forest management
What does this mean for other companies?
Any business with multiple locations, a large team, and many guests every day has enormous leverage. The opportunity lies in not only funding climate protection anonymously, but also in driving it forward in a tangible and understandable way within the region.
Would you like to support a regional climate project?
About the author
Tobias Sutterlüty is Head of Design at Pina Earth, where he is responsible for communication, branding, and product design. He brings several years of experience from working at an international digital agency in Vienna with global clients and completed his education at Hyper Island. At Pina Earth, he combines strategic design with sound climate communication to make carbon credits and accessible.
