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Foxconn decarbonization rating a weak D+, says Greenpeace

Foxconn decarbonization rating | Windfarm at sunrise

A new report has criticized Foxconn’s decarbonization credentials, rating the iPhone assembler at D-plus – the second lowest rating of any final assembly company. The rating is likely to focus attention on the feasibility of Apple’s environmental commitment to make its entire supply chain carbon-neutral by 2030.

Greenpeace issued its report just ahead of the upcoming United Nations COP 28 climate summit, which will review progress made toward the world’s collective climate goals …

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Carbon-neutral Apple Watch claims rejected as bogus: Term will be banned in Europe

Last month’s Apple event included the announcement of what the company claimed were two carbon-neutral Apple Watches, the Series 9 and Ultra 2. But that claim has today been rejected as “bogus” by the European consumer organization BEUC.

The European Union has proposed that it will in the future be illegal to claim that a product is carbon neutral when that claim relies on offsetting credits to balance out the actual greenhouse gas emissions involved in production …

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Apple’s environmental claims exaggerated, but company still leads others, says report

Apple's environmental claims examined | Windfarm at sunrise

Apple’s environmental claims have again come under the microscope, just a few weeks after Greenpeace criticized the company’s annual product cycles for driving carbon emissions.

While a new report also accuses Apple of exaggerating its environmental credentials, it does acknowledge that the Cupertino company is far ahead of its tech rivals …

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Apple’s environmental credentials way ahead of major rivals, but product cycle is biggest issue, says CNET

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Apple’s environmental credentials were front and center in the iPhone 15 event thanks to a lengthy and somewhat cringeworthy skit (making an unfunny video with Octavia Spencer is kind of an achievement in itself, but I guess that’s what happens when you commission a sketch during a writers’ strike).

A new piece says that the company’s actions and commitments put it way ahead of major rivals, but the elephant in the room is the annual product cycle for iPhones …

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Grid Forecast in Home app shows when you can use clean energy

Grid Forecast in Home app

iOS 16 last year introduced a Clean Energy feature, which lets you set your iPhone to charge during times when your local energy grid is using carbon-neutral electricity. In iOS 17, a new Grid Forecast feature takes a first pass at expanding this capability to any device in your home.

Grid Forecast shows up in the Home app, and shows a prediction of when your energy provider will be generating electricity from carbon-neutral sources like solar and wind …

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Apple Impact Accelerator 2023 rewards 12 more Black and Brown owned startups

Apple Impact Accelerator 3 | Car with flames coming from tailpipe

The third round of the Apple Impact Accelerator program – which provides a range of assistance to tech startups – has just been announced. Applications opened back in April.

This time, 12 business owned by Black and Brown entrepreneurs have been selected for an enviable level of support by Apple, including a 12-week training program, one-to-one mentorship, access to Apple experts across the business, networking opportunities, and the chance to become an Apple supplier …

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Watch Apple’s iPhone recycling robot Daisy punch out screws, freeze batteries, and more

Last year, we got a close look at the iPhone recycling robot Daisy. With over 2 billion iPhones sold worldwide, figuring out how to scale recycling smartphones efficiently is a major part of Apple’s plan to be carbon neutral by 2030. Now a new behind-the-scenes look at Daisy asks the question, “is this robot Apple’s most important device yet?”

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Apple touts environmental progress in annual report ahead of Earth Day

2023 Apple environment report

Earlier this month, Apple shared an update on its progress to become carbon neutral by 2030 with some of the ways it’s being green and efficient with its corporate operations. Now ahead of Earth Day on April 22, Apple has shared its 2023 Environmental Progress Report that fully dives into how it did for 2022 and the path ahead as it moves toward carbon neutrality.

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New Apple recycling targets for batteries, magnets, and circuit boards

Apple recycling targets | Recycling team at work

New Apple recycling targets have been set for batteries, magnets, and circuit boards, as the company works toward its 2030 environmental goal of making every product carbon-neutral.

Apple has an ambitious long-term goal to make all its products using only recycled and renewable materials, and today’s 2025 targets are a step toward this …

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Wardrobe apps could help reduce fashion waste, suggests report

Wardrobe apps | Capsule wardrobe

A new breed of wardrobe apps could help reduce fashion waste, by enabling people to make the most of the clothes they already own, swap clothing with people with similar tastes, and ensure that clothing is resold rather than sent to landfill.

The apps are part of a growing environmental movement against “fast fashion,” in which cheaply-made clothing is worn once or twice and then disposed of …

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Apple environmental goals for suppliers will be enforced by audits

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One of Apple’s environmental goals was for its entire supply chain to be carbon-neutral by 2030. More than two years after the objective was announced, the company hints at being unhappy with progress, and has announced that it will now begin carrying out annual progress audits.

In an implied threat to suppliers that aren’t showing sufficient movement toward this goal, Apple said that it “will partner with suppliers that are working with urgency and making measurable progress toward decarbonization” …

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It’s Earth Day, and Apple website highlights progress in everything from Apple Watch to iMac

Screengrab of Apple products with environmental snippets | It's Earth Day and Apple highlights product credentials

It’s Earth Day today, an annual opportunity to demonstrate support for the environment, and to call for policies that help to protect our planet. As always, Apple is promoting the occasion with a prominent link on the apple.com homepage.

The company kicked things off earlier this month by announcing that it would donate $1 to the World Wildlife Fund for every Apple Pay transaction made in Apple Stores, through the Apple Store app, or on its website from April 14 to today …

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Apple mangrove preservation project expands as company seeks to protect coastal communities and the climate

Mangrove tree at the sea edge with extensive roots in the water | Apple mangrove preservation project near Mumbai

The first Apple mangrove preservation project began in 2018, with the focus then on the role the saltwater trees play in decarbonization. The company has now extended this environmental work into India, this time stressing the additional part mangrove trees play in protecting coastal communities.

Apple has partnered with the Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF) to help local people transition their economy from one that destroys mangroves to one that is incentivized to protect them …

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Apple supply chain doubled its use of clean energy last year, en route to 2030 commitment

Backlit sunset photo of large solar farm | Apple supply chain doubled its use of clean energy last year

The Apple supply chain last year doubled its use of clean energy, as the Cupertino company works on its goal of its entire supply chain being 100% carbon neutral by 2030.

The iPhone maker said that a total of 213 of its major manufacturing partners have now committed to powering all Apple production from renewable energy …

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Apple using carbon-free aluminum; quietly started with the 16-inch MacBook Pro

Apple using carbon-free aluminum

Apple has announced that it will be using carbon-free aluminum in future products, with the latest iPhone SE in line to take advantage of the new environmentally friendly manufacturing process.

But the company has been quietly using the ‘revolutionary advancement’ in aluminum production since 2019, in the 16-inch MacBook Pro …

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Apple sued in China for not including iPhone chargers in the box

Apple sued for not including iPhone chargers

Apple is being sued in China for failing to include iPhone chargers in the box. The report says that the lawsuit has been put forward for ‘public interest’ status, suggesting that it could be fast-tracked or given a higher profile.

It follows a consumer protection fine in Brazil for the same issue, and Apple being forced to continue to supply EarPods with iPhones in France …

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Lisa Jackson says Apple buys carbon offsets, but 80% is real clean energy

Apple buys carbon offsets but 80% is real clean energy

Environmental lead Lisa Jackson has acknowledged in a podcast that Apple buys carbon offsets in order to hit its “100% carbon neutral” claim, but says that this is a relatively small proportion of the company’s total usage.

Interviewed on the Jane Goodall Hopecast, Jackson said that a lot of companies are satisfied with simply buying offsets, but that’s not Apple’s approach …

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Apple’s zero net emissions goal looks unlikely as TSMC 20 years behind schedule

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Apple’s zero net emissions goal for its supply chain is now looking unlikely to be met, as A-series and M-series chipmaker TSMC has set a much less ambitious target for itself.

Apple achieved net zero emissions for its own operations back in 2018, and has promised to do the same for its entire supply chain by 2030. However, TSMC doesn’t appear to be on board for this …

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