Apple says its products will be carbon-neutral by 2030
Since April, Apple’s corporate operations have been 100 percent carbon neutral. Now, the company says it’s ready to go even further. Today, Apple pledged to make its supply chain and all of its products carbon neutral by 2030.
Apple made the announcement as part of its 2020 environmental progress report and shared a video of a man whispering to a baby and promising that the company will do better by the child’s tenth birthday.
To achieve carbon neutral status, Apple will reduce its emissions by 75 percent and invest in carbon removal solutions to eliminate the remaining 25 percent of its carbon footprint. This will require the use of low-carbon and recycled materials, product recycling and energy efficient design. The company will continue to use renewable energy and convince its suppliers to do the same. Apple is also investing in forests and other nature-based solutions as a means of carbon removal.
Last month, we learned that this year’s iPhone may not ship with a charger in the box. That may be an effort to reduce waste by not sending a charger to people who already have one (or it could be a way for Apple to save money). It might also hint at the kinds of changes consumers will see as Apple pursues its carbon neutral by 2030 goal.
“Climate action can be the foundation for a new era of innovative potential, job creation, and durable economic growth,” CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. “With our commitment to carbon neutrality, we hope to be a ripple in the pond that creates a much larger change.”
According to the progress report, in 2019, Apple decreased its carbon footprint by 4.3 million metric tons and lowered its electricity needs by nearly one-fifth, saving the company $27 million. Over the past 11 years, Apple says it has reduced the average energy needed for product use by 73 percent.
(16)
