A decade away might seem like a fair chunk of time, but for a company the size of Apple a commitment to being 100% Carbon Neutral by 2030 is going to take some mammoth effort.
For consumers, that means any Apple device purchased in 2030 will have a net zero carbon impact.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said of the announcment “Businesses have a profound opportunity to help build a more sustainable future, one born of our common concern for the planet we share,”
“The innovations powering our environmental journey are not only good for the planet — they’ve helped us make our products more energy efficient and bring new sources of clean energy online around the world. Climate action can be the foundation for a new era of innovative potential, job creation, and durable economic growth. With our commitment to carbon neutrality, we hope to be a ripple in the pond that creates a much larger change.”
In their 2020 Environmental Progress Report which was released today, Apple outlines a plan to reduce it’s emissions by 75% by 2030, utilising carbon removal solutions for the remaining 25% of it’s footprint.
Apple’s VP of Environment Lisa Jackson says “We’re proud of our environmental journey and the ambitious roadmap we have set for the future,”
The ten-year plan includes a low-carbon approach to product design.
Apple’s commitment to recycling of old iPhones includes amazing robots that dismantle iPhones to recover materials like rear earth metals, preventing them from being mined.
Then there’s green energy, huge investments in making their facilities energy efficient, and maintaining their 100% renewable energy sources for their operations.
Perhaps the most challenging work will come in the actual products themselves, looking for carbon free materials like aluminium which is a huge part of almost all Apple products.
It’s a massive commitment, but they’re a very morally driven company, and they’ve got a stack of cash. Hopefully this road-map inspires a similar commitment from across the industry.
