April 17, 2024
UPDATE
Apple ramps up funding in clear power and water world wide
Collectively, Apple and suppliers are supporting over 18 gigawatts of fresh power and delivering billions of gallons in water advantages and financial savings
Apple right now introduced new progress to increase clear power world wide and advance momentum towards Apple 2030, the corporate’s daring objective to be carbon impartial throughout its complete worth chain by the tip of this decade. Greater than 18 gigawatts of fresh electrical energy now energy Apple’s international operations and manufacturing provide chain, greater than triple the quantity in 2020. Apple is making new investments in solar energy within the U.S. and Europe to assist tackle the electrical energy clients use to cost and energy their Apple units.
As a part of its broader environmental efforts, Apple additionally superior progress towards one other bold 2030 objective: to replenish 100% of the recent water utilized in company operations in high-stress areas. This consists of launching new partnerships to ship practically 7 billion gallons in water advantages — from restoring aquifers and rivers, to funding entry to consuming water — over the following 20 years. As with clear power, Apple has prolonged its dedication to scrub water throughout the whole provide chain: Collectively, Apple suppliers saved over 12 billion gallons of recent water final yr, for a complete of 76 billion gallons in water financial savings for the reason that firm launched its Provider Clear Water Program in 2013.
“Clear power and water are foundational to wholesome communities and important constructing blocks for a accountable enterprise,” mentioned Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice chairman of Atmosphere, Coverage, and Social Initiatives. “We’re racing towards our bold Apple 2030 local weather objective whereas taking over the long-term work to remodel electrical grids and restore watersheds to construct a cleaner future for all.”
Including New Renewable Capability Across the World
Electrical energy — each to fabricate Apple merchandise and to cost and energy them — makes up the biggest portion of Apple’s complete carbon footprint. As a part of Apple 2030, the corporate has referred to as on its international suppliers to make use of clear electrical energy and change into carbon impartial throughout all their Apple-related operations. Over 320 suppliers — representing 95 % of Apple’s direct manufacturing spend — have led the best way within the transition thus far, leading to 16.5 gigawatts of renewable power on-line in Apple’s provide chain right now. This generated over 25.5 million megawatt-hours of fresh power throughout the provision chain final yr, avoiding over 18.5 million metric tons of carbon emissions.
To deal with the greenhouse gasoline emissions related to clients utilizing their units, Apple has pledged to match each watt of charging electrical energy with clear electrical energy by 2030, together with by large-scale investments in new renewable power in markets world wide. That is a part of a broader technique to attenuate emissions from the usage of Apple merchandise by effectivity enhancements, participating with clients round alternatives to decarbonize the grid, and constructing clear electrical energy initiatives that maximize carbon reductions and social affect. Within the U.S., Apple is investing in a portfolio of photo voltaic initiatives throughout Michigan, with building underway to carry 132 megawatts of fresh power on-line later this yr. In Spain, Apple has partnered with worldwide photo voltaic improvement platform ib vogt on an funding that may generate 105 megawatts of solar energy when the venture comes on-line by the tip of 2024.
To deal with its rising company operations in India, Apple has additionally launched into a three way partnership with main renewable developer CleanMax to put money into a portfolio of six rooftop photo voltaic initiatives with a complete dimension of 14.4 megawatts. The added capability gives an area resolution to energy Apple’s places of work, its two retail shops within the nation, and different operations in India. Apple first achieved 100% renewable power for its international company operations in 2018.
Apple’s dedication to renewable power has unlocked new capability in markets world wide. In 2018, Apple took an progressive method to attach 12 of its suppliers working in China with renewable power sources by the China Clear Vitality Fund. The Fund has now exceeded its objective, with investments leading to over 1 gigawatt of recent wind and photo voltaic initiatives in China throughout 14 provinces. In mixture, these initiatives are anticipated to ship over 2,400 gigawatt-hours of renewable power annually, equal to the residential energy consumption of over 2.5 million folks in China.
Advancing Water Resilience By Nature-Primarily based Options
Apple goals to advance water safety in all places its enterprise reaches by collaboration throughout the manufacturing provide chain and progressive long-term partnerships to revive ecosystems, tackle neighborhood water wants, and enhance local weather resilience of watersheds. Since water impacts are felt domestically, Apple has initiated recent water replenishment work in among the highest-stress areas the place the corporate operates — together with Northern and Southern California, Arizona’s Colorado River Basin, and the Indian states of Telangana and Maharashtra. Modeled after the corporate’s method to renewable power procurement, Apple is pursuing progressive methods and long-term contracts aimed toward delivering water advantages and financial savings throughout complete watersheds. Since 2023, Apple has thus far dedicated over $8 million to replenishing recent water in high-stress watersheds. The initiatives introduced right now are anticipated to ship a mixed 6.9 billion gallons of water advantages over the following 20 years.
In Northern California, Apple is working with River Companions to revive the pure operate of the flood plain on 750 acres the place the Sacramento River, Feather River, and Butte Creek meet. This confluence of waterways — the biggest in California — presents a vital resting level for native Chinook salmon alongside their path to the Pacific Ocean. Restoring the world will contain planting a whole lot of hundreds of native vegetation and reconnecting the huge historic flood plain, making the area and downstream communities extra resilient to climate-driven flooding. Apple’s funding is predicted to leverage practically 5 billion gallons of freshwater advantages over 20 years by considerably decreasing water demand on the property and inspiring wholesome flood patterns to recharge underground aquifers. The restoration of Dos Rios Norte can be funded by the California Division of Fish and Wildlife, the California Pure Assets Company, the California Wildlife Conservation Board, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Within the higher Phoenix space, residence to Apple’s Mesa knowledge middle, Apple is working with Salt River Undertaking (SRP) to guard roughly 30,000 acres of forest at extreme threat of wildfire. With a 10-year plan to strategically skinny forests within the Colorado River Basin, the venture will assist shield the watershed from being devastated by wildfires and make sure the upstream reservoir can proceed to assist native communities. Apple’s funding — the biggest funding with SRP’s Resilient Water and Forest Initiative — is predicted to ship practically 2 billion gallons of water advantages within the space.
Final yr, Apple achieved its goal for 100% water replenishment for the corporate’s company operations in India by its ongoing work with Uptime Catalyst Facility. In 2023, Apple’s assist offered 23 million gallons of fresh, inexpensive consuming water to communities from over 300 water kiosks run by native entrepreneurs within the progressive performance-based program. Progress in one other vital area — Southern California — continues with a venture to take away the invasive Arundo donax cane species within the Los Angeles River Watershed, saving 21 million gallons of water yearly.
Along with pursuing watershed restoration and different nature-based replenishment options in high-stress areas, Apple is dedicated to sensible water stewardship throughout the enterprise. In 2021, Apple’s knowledge middle in Prineville, Oregon, grew to become the first-ever knowledge middle licensed to the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Worldwide Water Stewardship Normal, a trusted international framework for measuring accountable water stewardship. Since then, Apple has licensed 4 extra knowledge facilities to the Normal and supported 20 provider websites in reaching certification as nicely. Prior to now yr, seven provider websites in southern India and over 20 provider websites close to Shanghai and Suzhou in China have participated in water stewardship coaching with AWS and others within the business.
Accelerating Progress By Inexperienced Investments
Within the U.S. and world wide, Apple’s Inexperienced Bonds have additionally helped make these new investments potential. Final yr, Apple allotted proceeds from its 2019 Inexperienced Bond towards new clear power initiatives like the brand new photo voltaic initiatives in Michigan and the IP Radian Photo voltaic venture in Texas, assist for the Provider Clear Vitality Program, and investments in high-quality carbon removing by the Restore Fund. Since 2016, Apple has issued a complete of $4.7 billion in Inexperienced Bonds, with roughly $3.4 billion allotted up to now.
For extra data on Apple’s Inexperienced Bond efforts, go to investor.apple.com/Apple_GreenBond_Report. This yr’s annual affect report covers the cumulative allocation of Apple’s 2019 Inexperienced Bond proceeds to environmental initiatives that incurred spend between September 29, 2019, and September 30, 2023 — Apple’s 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020 fiscal years. Sustainalytics offered a second-party opinion on the chosen initiatives, and Ernst & Younger LLP offered an attestation report on the spend.
Press Contacts
Sean Redding
Apple
Chloe Candy
Apple
Apple Media Helpline