Dive Brief:

• Apple said Wednesday that more of its suppliers have committed to using renewable energy as the tech giant pushes to make the production of its Macbooks, iPhones and other products carbon neutral by 2030. 
• More than 250 suppliers are now supporting 13.7 gigawatts of renewable electricity, which marks a nearly 30% increase in the past year. Vendors involved make up more than 85% of Apple’s direct manufacturing spend.
• Apple called on its suppliers last fall to decarbonize operations, asking that vendors move to source 100% renewable electricity. Since 2019, the amount of renewable energy used within its global supply chain operations has expanded five times over. 

Dive Insight:

Apple is already carbon neutral for its own corporate emissions, and it is now pushing to expand the use of renewable energy across the rest of its supply chain. 

The tech giant said it secured more than 20 gigawatts in commitments from suppliers across the globe, including partners in the U.S., Europe, South Korea and Japan. In China, nearly 70 suppliers have agreed to use 100% renewable energy.

“Our new supplier commitments demonstrate the rapid pace of progress we’re making toward our 2030 carbon neutrality goal,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. “We are taking urgent action on a global scale to unlock a greener, more innovative, and more resilient future.”

Apple launched its Supplier Clean Energy Program in 2015, and the tech giant works closely with suppliers to support and speed their transition to renewable energy through internal trainings and other educational initiatives. It is also investing to add more clean energy in countries with limited access — the company’s China Clean Energy Fund, for example, connects suppliers with renewable energy projects.

Apple has also issued $4.7 billion in green bonds to accelerate renewable energy adoption across its supply chain. Around $3.2 billion has been allocated to date, with funds supporting the China Clean Energy Fund plus the development of low-carbon aluminum and other clean energy projects. 

“With partners around the world, we’re adding even more renewable energy to power our global supply chain and investing in next-generation green technologies,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. “The scale of this challenge is immense — but so is our determination to meet it.”