Apple (AAPL) said today that it is urging its suppliers to take action to address their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions towards the company’s 2030 value chain decarbonization goal, while also announcing a series of clean energy and climate solutions investments, partnerships and projects.

Image via ESGToday

The company said that it will require companies in its supply chain to report on progress towards achieving carbon neutrality, including on Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions reductions related to Apple production. Apple will track and audit annual progress, and “will partner with suppliers that are working with urgency and making measurable progress toward decarbonization.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook said:

“Fighting climate change remains one of Apple’s most urgent priorities, and moments like this put action to those words. We’re looking forward to continued partnership with our suppliers to make Apple’s supply chain carbon neutral by 2030.”

The announcements form part of Apple’s ambition to become carbon neutral across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain, and product life cycle by 2030, a goal set by the company in 2020.

Apple achieved carbon neutrality in 2020, and has focused its efforts on addressing its broader value chain emissions. More than 70% of Apple’s carbon footprint is created from the energy used in the manufacture of its products, and electricity used by customers to power devices accounts for 22%.

The company recently revealed that more than 200 of its major manufacturing partners have made commitments to power all Apple production with renewable electricity across 25 countries.

In its statement today, Apple said that it is encouraging suppliers to address emissions beyond their Apple production, with offerings including free e-learning resources and live trainings, and working with suppliers to identify effective solutions for renewable energy and carbon removal. The company stated that it plans to donate these resources and create a free public training platform and ensure access to resources and advocacy networks to help businesses speed their transition to 100% clean energy and carbon neutrality.

In order to address emissions from product use, Apple said that it plans to facilitate the construction of large-scale solar and wind projects in Europe, with projects ranging between 30 and 300 MW, with the goal to procure enough renewable energy to power all Apple devices on the continent, in addition to powering its own operations with clean energy.

The company announced its first renewable energy investment aimed at addressing product use emissions earlier this year, sourcing clean energy from a 2,300-acre solar project in Texas, followed by a recent solar project investment in Australia.

Apple’s 2030 decarbonization goal anticipates reducing emissions by 75%, and prioritizing high-quality nature-based solutions to address the remaining 25% that are currently unavoidable with existing technology. Last year, the company launched the RESTORE Fund, to invest in projects aimed at improving the climate benefits of landscapes through tree planting and improved forestry management practices. Apple committed $200 million to the fund, which is managed by Goldman Sachs, and set a goal to remove 1 million metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere per year.

The company announced today that through the RESTORE Fund, it has invested in three projects in Brazil and Paraguay to restore 150,000 acres of sustainably certified working forests and protect around 100,000 acres of native forests, grasslands, and wetlands. The projects are expected to remove 1 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2025.

Apple also announced a series of new climate solutions-focused partnerships in countries and regions around the world, including Namibia and Zimbabwe, China, Kenya, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

Cook said:

“Climate action at Apple doesn’t stop at our doors, and in this work, we’re determined to be a ripple in the pond that creates a bigger change.”

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