Apple has used World Water Day to announce its continued commitment to existing partnerships working to increase the "efficient and safe" use of water resources.
Dianshan Lake in Shanghai. (Source: Apple)
As iPhone component suppliers work to safeguard against droughts, Apple has marked World Water Day with an announcement about its partnership with the International Alliance for Sustainable Water Management (IASWM). This organization sets standards, and certifies compliance, for companies reliant on water for their manufacturing processes.
Although a worldwide commitment, Apple has concentrated on getting its Chinese supply chain partners certified.
"We firmly believe in the power of lead by example and strive to inspire enterprises in China and beyond to push their supply chains into water resources management," said Ge Yue, vice president of Apple and managing director of Greater China, in a statement (in translation.)
"We would like to congratulate the supply chain enterprises that have recently been certified by the International Alliance for Sustainable Water Management, but we will never stop there," continued Ge Yue. "Together, we will continue to work together to create a new positive impact in the communities we operate to protect more of this valuable shared resource."
World Water Day is a United Nations programme, first held on March 22, 1993. In 2018, Apple partnered with the IASWM, and Chunhua Technology -- an Apple circuit board supplier -- gained its Alliance Gold certification. Many other firms have since followed.
"We are pleased to see more and more Apple supply chain companies participating in our certification programs," said the IASWM's Regional Program Director for Asia Pacific, Sustainable Water Management Alliance, Xu Yu, "which highlights the impact and strength of our partnership with Apple to promote first-class water resources management."
"Real water resources management requires collaboration and leadership," continued Xu Yu. "Apple's constantly improving standards for itself and supply chain businesses set an example for the entire industry."
Apple says its collaboration with the Alliance is part of its Clean Water program. In 2019, this project saved an estimated total of 9.3 billion gallons of freshwater worldwide. According to Apple's World Water Day announcement, that rose to 41.3 billion gallons.
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