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Tim Cook slams Trump’s decision to withdraw from Paris climate pact in company-wide email

Earlier this week, it was reported that Apple CEO Tim Cook was among a handful of influential executives urging President Trump to remain in the Paris climate accord. Despite pleas from Cook and others, however, President Trump today announced that the United States will withdraw from the pact, marking a blow to climate change efforts.

In wake of Trump’s announcement, Tim Cook has sent an email to Apple staff reiterating the company’s stance on climate change and slamming the president’s decision…

In the email, obtained by Axios, Cook acknowledges that he spoke with President Trump earlier this week in an attempt to persuade him to remain in the Paris climate pact, but to no avail.

I know many of you share my disappointment with the White House’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. I spoke with President Trump on Tuesday and tried to persuade him to keep the U.S. in the agreement. But it wasn’t enough.

Cook explains that Apple will continue its own efforts to protect the environment, as they are good for both the planet and Apple’s business. Furthermore, Cook says that Apple will continue working towards a closed-loop supply chain and to stop mining the earth altogether, an effort first announced earlier this year.

The email sends the message loud and clear that climate change is real and is a principle held dear to Apple’s core values. Tim Cook reiterates that Apple operates with the idea of leaving the world better than it was found.

Our mission has always been to leave the world better than we found it. We will never waver, because we know that future generations depend on us.

This isn’t the first time Cook has used an internal email to address a policy from the Trump Administration. Following Trump’s immigration ban earlier this year, Cook sent an email declaring the policy something Apple did not support.

The full text of the email, obtained by Axios, can be read below.

Team,

I know many of you share my disappointment with the White House’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. I spoke with President Trump on Tuesday and tried to persuade him to keep the U.S. in the agreement. But it wasn’t enough.

Climate change is real and we all share a responsibility to fight it. I want to reassure you that today’s developments will have no impact on Apple’s efforts to protect the environment. We power nearly all of our operations with renewable energy, which we believe is an example of something that’s good for our planet and makes good business sense as well.

We will keep working toward the ambitious goals of a closed-loop supply chain, and to eventually stop mining new materials altogether. Of course, we’re going to keep working with our suppliers to help them do more to power their businesses with clean energy. And we will keep challenging ourselves to do even more. Knowing the good work that we and countless others around the world are doing, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about our planet’s future.

Our mission has always been to leave the world better than we found it. We will never waver, because we know that future generations depend on us.

Your work is as important today as it has ever been. Thank you for your commitment to making a difference every single day.

Tim


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Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is the editor-in-chief of 9to5Mac, overseeing the entire site’s operations. He also hosts the 9to5Mac Daily and 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcasts.

You can send tips, questions, and typos to chance@9to5mac.com.

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