Apple calls for SEC to mandate public emissions disclosures

Apple is calling for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to start requiring companies to disclose emissions information.

Arvin Ganesan, Apple's chief of energy and environmental policy, said that the company believes the SEC should issue rules mandating public disclosure of wide-ranging and third-party-audited emissions information.

"Disclosure is an important tool in the fight against climate change. Measuring and mapping carbon emissions enables companies to understand their footprint, develop strategies to reduce emissions and, ultimately, achieve decarbonization," said Ganesan.

Apple SVP Lisa Jackson highlighted Ganesan's statement in a tweet on Tuesday, adding that the company has disclosed its own greenhouse gas emissions for 10 years.

More specifically, Apple is calling for the SEC to require emissions information "covering all scopes of emissions, direct and indirect, and the value chain." An Apple spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that the statement refers to Scope 3 emissions, such as those that result from the use of a company's products by other parties.

In March, the SEC said it would seek input on how companies could report their own greenhouse gas emissions and other climate factors. In his statement, Ganesan said Apple looks forward to working with the SEC "so that any rules it may advance can build upon our learnings."

Apple on Tuesday was among hundreds of companies that pressured the Biden Administration to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Cupertino tech giant had previously committed to total carbon neutrality across all areas of its business by 2030.