Tech giant Apple said it aims to have its entire supply chain running on renewable power within 10 years as it unveiled plans to become a 100% net-zero operation by 2030 – a goal corporate clean energy campaigners labelled challenging but achievable.
The iPhone and iPad maker said further greening of suppliers combined with innovations in its own products will mean “that by 2030, every Apple device sold will have net-zero climate impact”.
Apple has claimed 100% carbon-neutrality for its own corporate operations since 2018, but its supply chain – which includes major third-party activities in China – is a stiffer challenge.
The California-based giant said it now has commitments from 71 manufacturers to use 100% renewable power in Apple-related production, without specifying how many more would be needed to hit the 100% goal in 10 years.
Further progress is likely to include more initiatives such as its China Clean Energy Fund, which co-invests in renewable projects alongside supplier to open routes to clean power procurement.
Sam Kimmins, head of he RE100 initiative for 100% corporate renewable energy, said: “The 2030 timing is as important as the scale of this move. By then, the whole world needs to halve carbon emissions.
“Apple is proving that the biggest businesses in the world have the power to make that happen. It’s certainly a challenge. But given the speed we have seen Apple move to renewable electricity through our RE100 programme, and then influence others to do the same, we think they can do it.”
Along with peers such as Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Amazon, Apple has been among a clutch of technology giants leading corporate sourcing of renewable energy.
The company said it now has more than 1.5GW of operating or contracted ‘Apple-created’ renewable capacity supplying its own facilities, totalling about 83% of total demand. It defines ‘Apple-created’ as either self-built, equity invested or supplying power under long-term contracts.
The tech group said it aims to cover the remaining 17% - where the renewable power is currently sourced under utility green supply schemes or other mechanisms – with ‘Apple-created’ capacity “soon”.
