Apple Gets Suppliers To Use More Renewable Energy

Apple suppliers have increased their use of clean energy by more than threefold in the last year, the company stated today. In total, they have averted 13.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution from entering the atmosphere through their support of renewable energy initiatives. According to the corporation, it has about the same impact as removing 3 million automobiles from the road for a year from the road.

As part of Apple’s efforts to combat climate change, the company has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. As part of its 2020 climate pledge, the corporation committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions to the greenhouse effect by 75 percent by the end of this decade and to finding measures to minimize its remaining climate pollution.

What’s New?

Taking it a step further, Apple has committed to reducing emissions from its supplier chains. Apple, in contrast to other corporations that have simply committed to eliminating pollution from their own operations and electricity usage, has gone further by vowing to reduce emissions from its supply chains and from the use of its goods by customers.

This will be by far the most significant increase for the corporation, as indirect emissions account for the vast majority of its total carbon footprint.

In addition to having a greater impact than simply focusing on corporate operations, reducing emissions through the supply chain has the additional benefit of encouraging other companies to clean up their acts as a result.

What’s More?

Annually, Apple publishes a list of its top suppliers, who account for approximately 98 percent of the money the company spends on supplies, production, and assembly. At total, over 60% of Apple’s main suppliers are on the company’s list of companies who have pledged to manufacturing Apple goods using “100 percent clean electricity” in locations all over the world. Dozens of other small suppliers have made pledges along the same lines.

However, making claims about using “100 percent clean electricity” is not as straightforward as it appears. A more complicated situation arises when it comes to claims of using “100 percent clean electricity.” Apple declared in 2018 that it would begin using 100 percent renewable energy, although this does not imply that its shops and offices will be powered entirely by wind and solar energy on a continuous basis.

Digging In More Details

Most power grids simply do not have enough renewable energy capacity, and they are not built to deliver that capacity to a single customer on a consistent basis, as is the case in many countries.

In order to offset their dirty electricity use, businesses frequently acquire Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from energy providers, which represent the environmental advantages of renewable energy projects. Apple, as well as its suppliers, purchase these credits. Just under 80% of its suppliers’ renewable energy “purchases” were spent on obtaining renewable energy from other providers in 2021, according to the company.

RECs contributed for an additional 8% of total REC production. In addition, direct investment in new renewable energy projects accounted for an extra 10% of procurement efforts. Also included was renewable electricity that was generated on-site at a supplier’s plant, accounting for 3 percent.

It stated in an update today that Apple’s Supplier Clean Energy Program purchased credits equivalent to 360,000 metric tons of carbon emissions to “address a modest increase in the company’s carbon impact.”