Apple has announced plans to achieve carbon neutrality in its entire supply chain as quickly as possible. The company has revealed that an even greater number of manufacturing partners and component manufacturers will switch to renewable energy sources by 2030. “Over 250 global manufacturing partners” have committed to this goal, representing approximately 85% of Apple’s direct production expenditure.
Apple’s goal is to decarbonise its entire supply chain over the next seven years. Currently, the 250 suppliers from 28 countries only account for the aforementioned percentage, which means that other suppliers will have to be added. Apple may participate in funding climate offsets as a workaround. “Green bonds” worth at least $4.7bn will be issued to finance renewable energy sources.
Apple has been climate-neutral in its own group for a long time, affecting the office locations and shops. However, most of the burden for manufacturing its goods lies with the supply chain. Apple acknowledges the scale of the challenge by admitting that it is immense – but their determination to master it is even greater.
CEO Tim Cook stated that Apple invests with partners “in green technologies of the next generation”. In the US, Apple’s Supplier Clean Energy Program currently has 27 suppliers. In China, almost 70 companies in Apple’s supply chain have committed to “100 percent renewable electricity.” In the EU, 30 Apple partners want to participate, with six already having achieved total decarbonisation for Apple products. Bosch Sensortec and VARTA Microbattery are among these suppliers. In Japan and South Korea, Apple has named 34 and 18 manufacturers, respectively, who produce climate-neutrally for the company or have declared their intention to do so.
