Apple announced earlier that its suppliers had more than doubled their clean energy use last year. At present, out of the nearly 16 million watts of clean energy that has been committed, more than 10 million watts have been put into use. In 2021, these renewable energy programs reduced 13.9 million metric tons of carbon emissions. Over the next year, the current push will support greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to taking 3 million cars off the road.
Apple noted that it will continue to work with its global supply chain to accelerate and support the transition to clean energy. As of April, the company's 213 key manufacturing partners have committed to using renewable electricity to power all Apple production in 25 countries. Dozens of new commitments announced this month will accelerate Apple’s 2030 goal of carbon neutrality across its entire supply chain. As of 2020, Apple's global corporate operations have become carbon neutral.
In addition to the clean energy commitments of 213 manufacturing partners, Apple is investing directly in renewable energy initiatives around the world including nearly 500 megawatts of solar and other renewable energy projects in China and Japan as part of upstream emissions reduction plans. To support companies switching to clean energy, Apple shares information and provides training materials tailored to the characteristics of different markets. These resources help businesses around the world accelerate the adoption of new clean energy solutions.
Last year, 11 new suppliers in Europe committed to clean energy, including Infineon, Viscom AG, and Lumileds, bringing the number of suppliers across Europe looking towards clean energy to 25. These companies are adopting a variety of clean energy solutions such as Infineon using on-site solar energy in Germany and Austria and DSM Engineering Materials supporting wind power projects in the Netherlands.
Apple has now backed two renewable energy projects in Denmark, including a large solar park near Thisted and a wind farm near Esbjerg, both of which power the company's data centers in Denmark. Apple is also actively developing new measures to address the use of products by customers in the region.
In the U.S., Apple directly invested in the 2,300-acre IP Radian Solar project in Brown County, Texas. The plan is expected to be completed later this year and will have 300 megawatts of power capacity. Apple's investment is aimed at offsetting the electricity customers use to charge Apple devices which accounts for 22 percent of the company's carbon footprint.
Apple noted that while the company continues to make progress toward its goal of carbon neutrality in its global supply chain, it is also committed to supporting the communities most affected by climate change. Through the Power for Impact program, Apple provides under-resourced communities around the world access to clean energy, while supporting local economic development and promoting social impact.
Current solar programs in Colombia, the Philippines, and South Africa are providing affordable and reliable power to communities facing major energy challenges. Apple continues to expand its clean energy program to other parts of the world, including Israel, Nigeria, Thailand, and Vietnam. These programs create jobs and result in energy savings that can be reinvested in local communities. Apple retains the environmental attributes of each program while the community uses energy savings to support economic growth, education, health, and other social initiatives.
（Image：Apple）