Apple claims to have cut 60 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions since 2015
Apple has provided new figures on its environmental efforts. The company sees successes in COâ‚‚ reduction and recycling, for example.
Apple's environmental efforts also include recycling.
(Image: Apple)
Apple has provided the latest details on its efforts to reduce greenhouse gases in its supply chain to mark today's "Earth Day". Overall, the company now aims to have produced 60 percent fewer emissions worldwide than in 2015. This is part of a programme that also aims to decarbonize the entire production by manufacturers and suppliers by 2030. However, there has already been criticism of how the company has set this up. For example, Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) sued Apple because it described certain Apple Watch models as "COâ‚‚-neutral" and used so-called carbon offsets, which are controversial. A similar lawsuit was filed in the US in the spring, which aims to become a class action.
25 percent reduction from "carbon credits"
Apple's new "Environmental Progress Report" states, among other things, that it now uses "more clean energy and more recycled materials than ever before". Water is being saved and waste is being reduced "all over the world", says Lisa Jackson, Head of Environment. "We are also investing heavily in nature. The closer we get to 2030, the harder this work will be." The challenge is being tackled "with innovation, collaboration and urgency".
Nevertheless, Apple will continue to focus on "high-quality carbon credits", i.e. compensation payments and offsetting measures. According to the Group, the company's "real" greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 75 percent by 2030 compared to 2015. The rest – 25 percent – is to be achieved through climate compensation, which researchers regularly give poor marks for. This is because emissions occur and remain in the atmosphere – the compensation measure often only takes effect later.
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Climate gases from the supply chain
Among other things, Apple wants to continue to supply its supply chain with green energy. Currently, 17.8 gigawatts of renewable electricity are to be available here. By 2030, the Storm should be 100 percent "green". In 2024, 21.8 million tons of greenhouse gases had already been saved, 17 percent more than in the previous year. At the same time, the company has worked with the supply chain on optimizations and energy-saving measures, whereby "almost 2 million tons" of greenhouse gases have not been emitted.
In its report, Apple emphasizes, among other things, conversion measures in industrial processes. For example, F-GHGs – fluorinated greenhouse gases – are to be reduced by 90 percent by 2030 in the construction of flat screens and semiconductors. This currently affects 26 of the semiconductor suppliers and "100 percent of the direct suppliers of displays". By 2024, display and semiconductor manufacturers for Apple should have emitted 8.4 million tons of greenhouse gases. "New commitments will accelerate this progress in the coming years," says Apple.
At the same time, Apple wants to obtain as many components of Mac, iPhone & Co. as possible from recycled materials. This includes rare earths and cobalt in batteries, for example. As part of a "Zero Waste" program for Apple's suppliers, around 600,000 tons of waste are to be kept out of landfills by 2024. According to Apple, the MacBook Air M4 currently contains "over 55 percent recycled content". Apple also describes the new Mac mini M4 as "climate neutral".
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