Apple boasts that it has cut greenhouse gas emissions in half
William GallagherApple is working to use alternative energy supplies including wind
As part of its annual report on its environmental efforts, Apple has announced that its overall greenhouse gas emissions are now down 55% since 2015.
Ahead of Earth Day on April 22, Apple has issued its now annual Environmental Progress Report. It says the 55% cut represents important progress in its intention to become carbon neutral by 2030.
"The proof of Apple's commitment to climate action is in our progress," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives in a statement. "We've slashed emissions by more than half, all while serving more users than ever before."
"More hard work is ahead of us," she continued, "and we're focused on harnessing the power of innovation and collaboration to maximize our impact."
The full 113-page report is available on an Apple site that also presents highlights of its efforts into, for instance, recycling aluminum. Apple repeats that Mac enclosures are made with 100% recycled aluminum, and that the MacBook Air is now halfway there with 50% recycled materials overall.
Also as part of Apple's recognition of Earth Day for 2024, the company has announced that on April 22, Apple Watch users can earn a limited-edition award by completing a half hour workout. There are Today at Apple sessions, and Apple is collaborating with social justice advocate Dolores Huerta on education projects.
Apple's Environmental Progress Report follows the company's announcement of its claim of now using more than 18 gigawatts of clean energy.
It also follows Apple pushing back against the need for net zero greenhouse emissions back in 2017. At that time, a shareholder had asked Apple to aim for net-zero, but the company claimed that its efforts to use more renewable energy made it unnecessary.
Jackson was already at Apple at this time — she joined in 2013. But since then she has presided over Apple's increasing environmental efforts, and is with Tim Cook on his current Asia tour, including talking about a clean water initiative in Vietnam.
Malcolm Owen
Marko Zivkovic
Mike Wuerthele
3 Comments
It's all green washing, manufacturers in China, India & Vietnam are still spewing out as much pollution as they have always done!
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-04-18/apple-iphone-recycling-program-has-secrets?embedded-checkout=true
Good work Apple. Apple has no choice but to lead the way in an industry full of antagonistic and self-serving science deniers. Once Apple announced their intention to go carbon neutral — only the first step to full environmental sustainability — such a profound transition within a fossil fuel economy won’t happen overnight, and it won’t be easy. I’m glad that people are holding Tim Cook’s feet to the fire on this issue, as it is critical that we be vigilant against falsehoods and deceptive practices. (Although it’s one thing to hold Apple and others to a high standards, it’s another thing to spread FUD.) As Apple and other enlightened organisations lead the way, so the rest will be required to follow, as their nations have signed up to the Paris Agreement to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. In the mean time we all have to tolerate the hysterically shrill protestations from the fossils pawning their filthy fuels in the USA, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, and other places, and their vast network of bought-off-the-rack-politicians, think tanks (the word ‘think’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting there), news media, and culture-war inspired rabble.