COP26: Apple reveals more progress to carbon neutrality

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions’ Conetoe, North Carolina, solar installation provides power for Corning.

In advance of COP26, Apple has made a series of announcements to further improve its green credentials, including the addition of 9 gigawatts of clean power, more supplier commitments and a series of new schemes.

Toward the 2030 carbon neutral target

In terms of the company’s own supply chain, it says it has more than doubled the number of suppliers committed to using 100 percent clean energy, which should help it move toward its goal to be carbon neutral across its supply chain and products by 2030. Apple continues working to boost environmental sustainability – this also extends to making products that last.

Apple says that 175 of its suppliers will transition to using renewable energy, and together will bring over 9 gigawatts of clean power online across the world. That’s not insignificant – it’s the equivalent of taking over 4 million cars off the road each year, and probably enough to power a million homes.

You can read the full list of suppliers here.

Sustainable projects to build green better

The company also announced an additional ten projects that join its Power for Impact initiative to bring renewable power to communities around the world, while supporting economic growth and social impact.

“Every company should be a part of the fight against climate change, and together with our suppliers and local communities, we’re demonstrating all of the opportunity and equity green innovation can bring,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

“We’re acting with urgency, and we’re acting together. But time is not a renewable resource, and we must act quickly to invest in a greener and more equitable future.”

These remarks follow numerous statements on this matter from the CEO. In 2020, he said: “Climate action can be the foundation for a new era of innovative potential, job creation, and durable economic growth. With our commitment to carbon neutrality, we hope to be a ripple in the pond that creates a much larger change.”

Also read: 12+ Apple & the environment facts you may not know

Apple has reduced its carbon emissions by 40 percent over the past five years and is already carbon neutral across its global operations.

“For too long, the communities most impacted by climate change haven’t had a seat at the table. That has to change, and we’re committed to being part of that change,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. “The new projects we’re sharing will help communities by developing new local renewable projects, creating a healthier and more equitable world while advancing the fight against climate change.”

Supplier Momentum

Apple’s release speaks for itself:

• “In the US, 19 suppliers in Apple’s Supplier Clean Energy Program, including Solvay, are scaling their use of renewable energy across their Apple operations, often going beyond their business with Apple.
• “In Europe, 19 suppliers are now part of the program, including STMicroelectronics, which has started nine additional projects to deliver renewable energy for its broader operations since joining Apple’s program.
• “In China, 50 suppliers are now part of the program, with many maximizing their use of on-site solutions. In India, Japan, and South Korea, 31 suppliers have joined, including SK Hynix, one of the first Korean suppliers to participate.”

Apple continues its work to promote the use of recycled materials and wants to create a circular economy that eliminates the need for carbon-intensive mining and conserves resources. This includes recycled sources of gold, cobalt, aluminum, and rare earth elements.

Supporting Communities

But it’s the projects to support communities that give some sense of what might happen if governments and enterprises attending COP26 might be able to achieve if they work together in a sustainable way to tackle climate change.

• Take the US. There, Apple is working with the Oceti Sakowin Power Authority. This was formed by six Sioux tribes to jointly develop tribal renewable energy resources by financing, developing, constructing, and operating power generation and transmission facilities for the wholesale market. This project is on track to create a large-scale wind power development in the Midwest, and follows the organization’s participation in Apple’s Impact Accelerator, part of the company’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative.
• In South Africa, Apple is bringing renewable energy to over 3,500 households that previously lacked access. The company will also help reduce electricity costs for the Pioneer School for the Visually Impaired by funding rooftop solar installations. And in Nigeria, Apple will support the development of a solar power system to serve a primary healthcare center in the state of Ondo, as well as 200 households in the surrounding region.

• In the Philippines, Apple will help fund an educational institution that provides scholarships to high-achieving, under-resourced students by offsetting electricity expenses through a new rooftop solar installation.
• In Thailand, Apple is participating in an effort to increase renewable energy production and battery storage to ensure reliable access to electricity, and replacing the use of polluting diesel fuel for a remote fishing village that relies on refrigerators to maintain the quality of its fish products.
• Apple’s work to support a program in Vietnam will provide solar electricity for 20 schools around the country, and help teach thousands of children about sustainable development and STEM.
• In Colombia, Apple is helping to bring online a rooftop solar power system at the Santa Ana Hospital Infantil, and the money saved on energy bills will allow the hospital to purchase more equipment and medications. A rooftop solar installation at Ciudad Don Bosco, a nonprofit that provides educational and social services for under-resourced youth, will help the group advance its sustainable development goals.
• In Israel, Apple is supporting the Nitzana Educational Eco-Village for at-risk youth with solar installations to help lower electricity costs and generate revenue.

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