Apple has announced significant progress towards its goal of decarbonizing its value chain, revealing that more than 320 suppliers – representing 95% of the company's direct manufacturing costs – have already committed to using 100% renewable energy for Apple manufacturing by 2030. up from about 250 suppliers last year, esgtoday.com reports.
Emissions from product manufacturing account for nearly two-thirds of Apple's carbon footprint, with electricity use the largest factor. Tackling these emissions is a key part of the company's strategy to achieve its ambition to become carbon neutral across its business, manufacturing supply chain and product life cycle by 2030, a goal the company set in 2020.
Apple's approach
In October 2022, Apple called on its suppliers to decarbonize their entire Apple-related Scope 1 and 2 emissions footprint, and notified them that progress toward these goals will be a key criterion in choosing companies with which the tech giant will work. Since then, the use of clean energy in Apple's supply chain has grown rapidly, reaching 16,5 GW currently, up 20% from last year and up more than 55% from 2022.
Apple says its supply chain generated more than 25,5 million MW of clean energy last year, avoiding more than 18,5 million metric tons of carbon emissions. In addition to its supply chain, Apple also announced initiatives toward its goal of addressing greenhouse gas emissions associated with customers using its devices by matching the electricity used by customers to charge their devices with clean electricity by 2030 Mr.
Clean energy and water are the foundations of healthy communities and essential building blocks for responsible business. We are racing toward our ambitious 2030 climate goal while taking on the long-term work of transforming power grids and restoring watersheds to build a cleaner future for all," said Lisa Jackson, vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives. at Apple.
Product use accounts for 24% of Apple's carbon footprint
To help address emissions from the use of its products, Apple announced that it is currently investing in a portfolio of solar projects in Michigan that are expected to bring 132 MW of clean energy online later this year, and that it is partnering with the developer of solar energy ib vogt in Spain for an investment that will generate 105 megawatts of solar energy by the end of the year. The company previously announced clean energy investments in Australia and Texas aimed at addressing customer electricity demand.