April 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE
Apple is helping suppliers quickly accelerate the use of renewable energy worldwide
More than 200 suppliers have committed to using only clean power; will help deliver nearly 16 gigawatts
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple announced today that its suppliers have more than doubled their use of clean power over the past year, with over 10 gigawatts in operation today out of nearly 16 gigawatts total commitments in the coming years. In 2021, these renewable projects avoided 13.9 million tonnes of carbon emissions. The projects online today will support greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to removing 3 million cars from the road in a year.
Apple is constantly working with its global supply chain to accelerate and support the transition to clean energy. As of today, 213 of the company’s major production partners have promised to operate all Apple production with renewable electricity in 25 countries. The dozens of new commitments announced today will accelerate progress toward Apple’s 2030 goal of becoming CO2-neutral across its entire supply chain. Apple has been CO2 neutral for its global activities since 2020.
“We are proud that so many of our production partners have joined our urgent work to address the climate crisis by generating more renewable energy around the world,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Politics and Social Initiatives. “Clean energy is good for business and good for the planet. By sharing what we learned in our own transition to renewable energy, we are helping to point the way to a greener future.”
Supplier obligations and global energy projects
In addition to clean energy commitments made by 213 production partners, Apple invests directly in renewable projects around the world, including nearly 500 megawatts of solar energy and other renewable projects in China and Japan to cover part of the upstream emissions. To support companies in their transition to pure power, Apple shares data and offers educational materials with market-specific information. These resources have helped to spur new clean energy solutions across the globe.
In Europe, 11 new suppliers have committed to clean energy over the past year, including Infineon, Viscom AG and Lumileds, bringing the total to 25 European companies. They implement a number of clean energy solutions, including Infineon, which uses solar energy on site in Germany and Austria, and DSM Engineering Materials, which supports a wind project in the Netherlands. Apple has already supported two Danish renewable energy projects, including a large solar park at Thisted and a wind farm at Esbjerg, both of which operate Apple’s data center in the country. The company is also looking at new steps to address customer product use throughout the region.
In the United States, Apple is investing directly in the 2,300-acre IP Radian Solar project in Brown County, Texas. The project will generate 300 megawatts of electricity when construction is completed later this year. Apple made this investment to help handle the electricity customers use to charge their Apple devices, representing 22 percent of the company’s gross CO2 footprint.
Apple’s suppliers with U.S. operations also continue to commit to clean energy, with notable new commitments from DuPont, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware; and Micron Technology, Inc., headquartered in Boise, Idaho, announced today. Already, Apple suppliers are helping Solvay and Corning support some of the largest solar farms in North Carolina and South Carolina as part of their commitment to Apple.
In China, 23 new suppliers have joined the program in the last year. Almost all of Apple’s top suppliers, headquartered in China, have committed to using clean energy for Apple production, with many building solar energy on site, while supporting the country’s transition to renewable energy. This includes new commitments from vendors like Ruicycle, which will use clean energy in its closed recycling processes for Apple. In 2018, Apple took an innovative approach to accelerating sustained progress in China with the launch of the China Clean Energy Fund. Through this first of its kind investment fund, Apple and its suppliers have invested together in 465 megawatts of clean energy.
In Japan, new opportunities for clean electricity are emerging for businesses as power purchase agreements become more accessible. While corporate energy buyers were previously limited to solar energy on the roof and unbundled certificate options, the collaborative advocacy business has further opened up the market. Twenty new suppliers have committed to clean energy in Japan over the past year, including Kioxia Corporation and Sharp Corporation. Nitto Denko and many of Apple’s other suppliers have invested in solar energy on site, and Keiwa is covering its Apple load with power from a wind project located outside Tokyo.
In South Korea, LG Display Co. Ltd. and Samsung SDI committed to clean energy for all Apple production. This addition to the program builds on significant progress over the past year, with a total of 13 vendors committing to bringing clean energy online.
In markets where suppliers face particular challenges in accessing cost-effective clean energy, Apple is working with partners to break down barriers through innovation and policy engagement.
Community impact on clean electricity
As Apple continues to accelerate progress toward CO2 neutrality across its entire global supply chain, the company is also focused on supporting the communities most affected by climate change. Through its Power for Impact program, Apple provides local communities with under-resources worldwide with access to renewable energy, while supporting economic growth and social impact.
Currently, solar energy projects in Colombia, the Philippines and South Africa provide cheap and reliable electricity to communities facing significant energy challenges. Apple continues to expand the program to other parts of the world, including Israel, Nigeria, Thailand and Vietnam. These projects bring jobs and lead to energy savings that can be reinvested in communities. Apple preserves the environmental performance of each project, and communities use energy savings to support economic growth, education, health, and other social initiatives.
For more information, read Apple’s Supplier Clean Energy Program Update. Visit apple.com/environment to learn more about Apple’s environmental initiatives.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple is a world leader in innovation with the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s five software platforms – iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS – provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices, enabling people to breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.
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