Apple’s carbon-neutral goal gathers pace as it brings 2GW of renewable energy online in China
- The switch to green energy will help to avoid emissions of 4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually in China, the company says
- Some 15 Chinese suppliers have joined Apple’s clean energy programme since July, moving their production to 100 per cent renewable energy
By surpassing its green energy goal, the Cupertino, California-based company said it can avoid the emission of nearly 4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually in China – the equivalent of taking nearly 1 million cars off the road each year.
“We are committed to protecting the planet and helping to advance the transition to a greener economy. That’s why we are accelerating our renewable energy efforts,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said on China’s Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo on Thursday. “We will continue this urgent work to protect the precious resources we all share.”
Some 15 Chinese suppliers have joined Apple’s clean energy programme since July, moving their production to 100 per cent renewable energy, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
Although Apple did not provide names of the Chinese suppliers that have joined the programme, its mainland-based suppliers include GoerTek, Lens Technology, and Shenzhen Desay Battery, according to Bloomberg’s analytics. Some of Apple’s biggest suppliers in China are Taiwanese manufacturers with facilities in the mainland, including Hon Hai Precision Industry, Pegatron, Quanta Computer, and TSMC.
Some of the projects financed by Apple since the fund’s launch include two wind farms in Hunan province developed by Concord New Energy Group and another by Fenghua Energy Investment Group in Hebei province.
The company said on Wednesday that the funds will be fully utilised by the end of next year to support a series of projects to add another 1GW of renewable energy.
“Apple is committed to leading the way in saving the planet, addressing climate change and conserving the resources we all share,” said Isabel Ge Mahe, Apple’s vice-president and managing director of Greater China. “By collaborating with our local partners, we are helping to preserve China’s clean waters and green mountains for the benefit of future generations.”
Apple said that over 110 of its manufacturing partners around the world are moving to 100 per cent renewable energy, with nearly 8GW of planned clean energy expected to come online. Once completed, these commitments would save over 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to take more than 3.4 million cars off the road each year.