Apple celebrates Earth Day, shares latest green data

Earth Day takes place April 22 and Apple is celebrating it by publishing its latest 114-page Environmental Progress report, committing to new partnerships and trying to get customers to get more involved in action to protect our climate.

Do the right thing, go Green

Apple continues on its journey to make every product carbon neutral by 2030. With this in mind it has published its latest Environmental Progress report and its annual People and Environment in Our Supply Chain Report.

Most recently, it discussed its Restore Fund and announced that it is adding even more renewable energy across its supply chain.

Supporting the data, the company has introduced a new framework it says is for sharing the “reduced climate impact” of new products. That framework is similar to the old green slide, but shows a range of additional data. It is also announcing new partnerships for innovating climate solutions and engaging communities and also inviting customers to learn and act around these issues with apps and activities across its platforms.

You can find some cherry-picked details from previous reports at these links:

• Environmental Progress Report 2022
• Environmental Progress Report 2021

What Apple said

“We are closer than ever to achieving our vision of Apple 2030 — our ambitious goal to make every product carbon neutral by 2030 — and we are thrilled to celebrate the tremendous progress with our customers this Earth Day,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives.

“Our customers can use their Apple devices knowing they are made with the environment in mind — that means more clean energy, more industry-leading durability, even greater efficiency, and more recycled and low-carbon materials than ever before.”

Green insights into Apple’s business

The 2023 Environmental Progress report contains numerous data points that demonstrate the extent to which Apple continues to try to achieve carbon neutral status across its business. Some quickly chosen data points include:

• Apple has decreased its comprehensive carbon footprint by over 45 percent since 2015, even while sales by revenue climbed 68%.
• 20% of all materials shipped in products in 2022 came from recycled sources.
• Apple has reduced Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 67% since 2011.
• Switching to recycled and low-carbon aluminum has decreased Apple’s carbon emissions associated with aluminum by 71 percent since 2015.
• Apple has reduced energy efficiency at its data centers to the extent that it has saved over 56.7 million kilowatt-hours per year.

• Apple reduced facilities energy use by 69.4 million kilowatt-hours through efficiency efforts implemented in 2022.
• The company has more than trebled the amount of renewable energy used across its supply chain.
• Apple has cut the quantity of plastic used in its packaging from 21% to 4% since 2015.
• 25% of the cobalt used in Apple devices came from “certified recycled sources on a mass-balance basis”.
• Apple also published detailed information regarding the carbon footprints of each product it makes.

Apple has a brand new green slide

Apple has released a new framework (perhaps a new green slide) to share how its environmental efforts around renewable energy, efficiency, and materials innovation are already significantly reducing the climate impact of Apple products.

To showcase this progress clearly for customers, the company published updated Product Environment Reports for iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, iPad (10th generation), MacBook Air with the M2 chip, and Apple Watch Series 8.

For example, the company says its new framework shows it has reduced the carbon emissions of MacBook Air with M2 by 38 percent. This significant reduction was largely driven by the use of 40 percent total recycled and renewable content in the device.

By its actions, Apple also confirms that environmental concerns are now seen as critical when it comes to product design.

How you can get a little greener

For Earth Day, Apple is providing tools customers can use to learn about the environment and act to reduce their impact on the planet. It has also published a new Apple Trade In landing page for customers in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada that estimates the value of a trade-in device in an attempt to encourage recycling.

Apple is also hosting Today at Apple events around these matters at it stores, including creative, educational, culrutal and entertainment shows.

On the App Store, Apple is offering an Earth Day collection called “The Future of Fashion Is Sustainable”, which features apps that enable more ethical and sustainable fashion choices and second hand shopping.

Of course, deep behind all of this is the need to move away from fossil fuels.

Apple reaches global partnerships

Apple also announced new partnerships and support for global efforts to engage communities in environmental solutions, including work aligned with Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative.

• In Latin America

  Apple will work with Conservation International to support leadership in Afro-descendant communities with economic opportunities that deliver outcomes for addressing the climate and biodiversity crises. The partnership will also support the Afro-InterAmerican Forum on Climate Change (AIFCC).

 

• In China

Apple is supporting the development of a certified methodology for blue carbon in China. For this it works the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology Foundation. Blue carbon refers to the carbon dioxide pulled from the atmosphere and stored deep within oceans and coastal ecosystems, including mangrove forests. Apple supports blue carbon projects in Colombia and India that serve as a model for creating alternative, sustainable economies around the preservation of mangroves. The partnership in China will build on that work.

• Apple is also partnering with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on a new initiative called the Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) Origination Platform, which aims to showcase a new model of scaling up, aligning, and mobilising public and private investments for high-quality nature-based solutions under an integrated landscape approach. Under the platform, WWF will leverage its global reach and partnerships, and the momentum behind climate and nature commitments, to showcase interventions in priority landscapes that address systemic threats, and generate impacts for climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development.

 

• In the U.S

Apple has partnered with Beyond Benign to bring green chemistry and sustainable science programming to minority-serving institutions across the country, and expand the talent pool of Black, Hispanic, and Native American scientists trained in sustainability for global high-value companies. Apple is also supporting local organisations promoting environmental justice for their communities, including City Blossoms in Washington, D.C.; Environmental Health Coalition in California and Tijuana, Mexico; and Little Village Environmental Justice Organisation in Chicago.

Apple TV+, the greener channel

Apple has really pushed the boat out for Earth Day on Apple TV+. There you will find lots of relevant content:

• TV series Jane, inspired by the work of legendary conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall.
• Nature docuseries Big Beasts, narrated by Tom Hiddleston;
• The Sago Mini Friends

Subscribers can also enjoy favourites that illuminate the spectacular wonders of the planet, and the importance of protecting it, with Prehistoric Planet, Earth at Night in Colour, The Elephant Queen, Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth, Tiny World, The Year Earth Changed, and more.

Apple TV app is also offering a range of shows inspired by the mantra “The Future Is Up to Us.” Aligned across three main focus areas — reduce and reuse, rethink, and reconnect — these show focus on individuals and communities who are committed to fighting climate change through innovative, everyday actions.

In a special episode host Shumita Basu spoke with Burns and actor Sienna Miller about the Hollywood star power that came together to make Extrapolations, and what it will take to make real progress in the fight against climate change.

Apple’s services go green for Earth Day

As has become customary, Apple is pressing its support for Earth Day across all its other services. Some highlights of what’s coming include:

• Apple News will feature a special curated collection that celebrates natural wonders; explores climate science, service, and solutions; and highlights people and communities fighting for a greener world.
• Beginning April 21, Apple Music will showcase exclusive nature-inspired content, with new music and soundscapes from Apple TV+, including a “Mixtape for Mother Earth” takeover with Extrapolationstalent Ben Harper.
• Apple Fitness+ offers a new Time to Run episode in which trainer Scott Carvin takes inspiration from Joshua Tree National Park, featuring an energetic rock playlist that can help motivate users to get outside.
• On April 22, Apple Watch users can earn a limited-edition award for Earth Day by completing any workout of 30 minutes or more.
• Users interested in learning more about the climate crisis and exploring new ways to take action can tap into the “Revitalising Our Home” collection on Apple Podcasts, featuring a wide variety of voices from the scientific community.
• Apple Books will feature content that explore environmental issues and actions customers can take. It is also offering a curated collection of titles chosen by Leah Thomas, author of The Intersectional Environmentalist.
• Apple Maps introduces new Guides to sustainable shopping for US users.

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