I- Apple is working to reduce its environmental impact by 2030
Apple plans to reduce their 2030 greenhouse gas emissions by 75%. They are
focused on creating nature-oriented solutions for the remaining 25% that can't
be handled with current technology.
The company launched the RESTORE Fund last year; it uses money to fund
projects intended to increase the climate benefits of landscapes through tree
planting and improved forest management practices.
Apple has set a goal of removing one million tons of carbon from the
atmosphere every year. This was accomplished thanks to $200 million pledged to
funds managed by Goldman Sachs.
Apple reduced the amount of
carbon dioxide in their environment by 4.3 million tons in 2019. The company
attributed this to many of their product design changes that increased the
recyclability of their products and made them easier to disassemble.
Apple's energy consumption has
decreased by 73% over 11 years thanks to the manufacture of their products.
Apple claims implementing
their current technology forced them to reduce emissions by 25%. Despite this
fact, Apple said unavoidable emissions reductions from their suppliers pushed
them to make this decision.
In the company's plans for
2025, they fund three global forestry projects that remove one million tons of
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
II- Decarbonizing supply chains is a complex process
Many companies' decarbonization plans focus on reducing emissions by 73%.
These plans involve cutting emissions by 73% through the companies' supply
chains.
Many emerging markets for tech companies depend on fossil fuels to power
their systems. As a result, they might sever ties with suppliers with high
emissions.
Standard Chartered states that 78% of businesses plan to remove suppliers
that threaten their carbon transition plans.
Suppliers have to eliminate costly alternatives when costs increase. This
leads to supply chains severing and no reduction in emissions as new markets
are pursued.
Standard Chartered’s global
head of environmental and social risk management, Amit Puri, stated that
companies should avoid decarbonizing their supply chains as a last resort. He
pointed out that the United States started the climate change process from a
different place than other countries. This means that American businesses can
work with their vendors in other countries to speed up decarbonization.
Companies with preferred
supplier agreements support significant environmental projects thanks to
financial support from the agreement. Suppliers chosen by the agreement help
fund any improvements made on a project.
Businesses require specific
conditions to be met before they approve a contract. Some of these conditions
include that a business’s solar panel supplier builds a large rooftop solar
panel to separate their facility from the coal-fired grid. Also, shipping
companies may need to switch from diesel-powered trucks to ammonia-powered
ones.
