Ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, Apple today announced that it is adding 10 new projects for its "Power for Impact" initiative, which looks to bring clean energy solutions to communities around the world, and has more than doubled the number of its suppliers committed to using 100 percent clean energy over the past year.
Apple announced its Power for Impact initiative in 2019, designed to provide communities with renewable energy while promoting economic and social growth. One of the 10 new Power for Impact projects involves working with the Oceti Sakowin Power Authority in the United States to collaboratively develop renewable energy resources for the wholesale market, with the objective of creating a large-scale wind power development in the Midwest. Apple CEO Tim Cook said:
Every company should be a part of the fight against climate change, and together with our suppliers and local communities, we're demonstrating all of the opportunity and equity green innovation can bring. We're acting with urgency, and we're acting together. But time is not a renewable resource, and we must act quickly to invest in a greener and more equitable future.
Other projects in South Africa, Nigeria, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Colombia, and Israel seek to provide renewable energy to healthcare and educational institutions, as well as surrounding households, using rooftop solar installations. Apple believes that this will create a source of local revenue and lower energy costs, freeing up funds for educational scholarships, equipment, and medication.
Apple added that 175 of its suppliers have now committed to using renewable energy. This includes 19 suppliers in the United States, 19 in Europe, 50 in China, and 31 in India, Japan, and South Korea. The company said that the suppliers are also scaling up their use of renewable energy across their operations, beyond their business with Apple alone. Apple and its suppliers will bring more than nine gigawatts on-grid around the world, avoiding over 18 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, the equivalent of taking over four million cars off of the road each year.
Apple has also expanded the amount of recycled material that it uses in its products, working with suppliers to move toward a "circular system" that attempts to reduce the need for carbon-intensive mining. This includes recycled sources of gold, cobalt, aluminum, rare earth elements, and more.
Related to its recycling efforts, Apple highlighted that the iPhone 13 Pro has an 11 percent smaller carbon footprint compared to the iPhone 12 Pro, while the new 16.2-inch MacBook Pro has an eight percent smaller carbon footprint compared to the previous model.
The efforts are part of Apple's goal to reach carbon neutrality across its business by 2030, meaning that every Apple device sold will have a net-zero climate impact. Apple has already reduced its carbon emissions by 40 percent over the past five years.
