Industrial, Sourcing Renewables  -  March 31, 2021

More than 100 Apple suppliers transition to 100% RE

Apple announced March 31 that 110 of its global suppliers are moving their operations for the production of Apple products to 100% renewable energy, mitigating 15 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually.

The tech giant expects the agreements set forth by these suppliers will bring 8 GW of new renewables capacity online. All these projects will support the company’ previously announced target of being carbon neutral across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain and product life cycle by 2030.

“We are firmly committed to helping our suppliers become carbon neutral by 2030 and are thrilled that companies who’ve joined us span industries and countries around the world, including Germany, China, the US, India, and France,” Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president for Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, said in a statement. “In a year like no other, Apple continued to work with a global network of colleagues, companies, and advocates to help make our environmental efforts and everything we do a force for good in people’s lives — and to work alongside the communities most impacted by climate change.”

Apple suppliers DSM Engineering Materials and STMicroelectronics are commissioning a wind facility and a solar carport, respectively, while Solvay, Alpha and Omega Semiconductor, Marian, The Chemours Company and Trinseo all committed to Apple’s Supplier Clean Energy Program. Fifteen Chinese suppliers have joined the program since July.

Apple is also investing into renewable energy projects that will cover a portion of upstream emissions, in addition to constructing a major energy storage project in California. The California Flats project will be one of the largest battery projects in the country, with grid-scale energy storage capable of housing 240 MWh of energy. The project will support the company’s 130 MW solar farm that provides all the renewable energy it uses in California.

As the company achieved carbon neutrality in its own operations already, these new projects will ensure all Apple products have net zero climate impact.

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