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Apple wins United Nations award for use of 100% renewable energy and more

Apple wins United Nations award for environmental achievements

Apple has won one of 15 United Nations awards as part of the UN’s Global Climate Action program. The winners were described by the UN as ‘some of the world’s best and brightest solutions to climate change, led by communities, governments, businesses and organisations.’

“Announced amongst the backdrop of nations signalling their renewed determination to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, these awards shine a light on 15 incredible examples of scalable climate action around the world,” said Niclas Svenningsen, Manager of the UN Climate Change Global Climate Action Programme …


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Apple’s China Clean Energy Fund invests in three wind farms, hits 10% of goal

China clean energy fund

The $300M China Clean Energy Fund – an environmental partnership between Apple and ten of its Chinese suppliers – has invested in three wind farms. The initiative is designed to help suppliers power their Apple production from 100% renewable energy.

Apple says that the fund is aiming to generate one gigawatt of renewable energy by 2022 and that these three farms will hit 10% of that goal…


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Apple the largest US user of solar power, ahead of Amazon, Target, and Walmart

Apple the biggest US corporate user of solar power

Apple was the largest corporate user of solar power in the US last year, says a new industry report, underlining the Cupertino company’s environmental credentials.

U.S. businesses are increasingly turning to solar energy as a cost-effective means of powering their operations. As of 2018, Apple leads the nation with the most solar capacity installed, followed closely by Amazon, Target, Walmart and Switch …


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On Earth Day, Apple reports back on its mangrove restoration project to absorb carbon

Apple reports back on its mangrove restoration project

Mangroves – trees and shrubs that grow in coastal waters – absorb ten times as much carbon as land-based trees, which is why Apple announced last year that it was investing in a mangrove restoration project in Colombia. The company has marked Earth Day by reporting back on the environmental project.

Apple said in September that it would be supporting a project to protect and restore a 27,000-acre mangrove forest …


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Apple Environment Report

Apple’s 2019 Environmental Responsibility Report touts 35% lower carbon footprint than 2015, progress towards mining-free future, more

Along with Apple quadrupling its recycling program, the company today shared its 2019 Environmental Responsibility Report which details the progress its has made over the last year. Among its results include a 35% reduction in carbon footprint over the last three years, progress towards its goal of a mining-free future, and more.


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Apple quadruples iPhone recycling program, promotes environmental credentials on homepage

Daisy, the robot for iPhone recycling program

Apple has announced that it is quadrupling its US iPhone recycling program by making it available through Best Buy stores throughout the country. The program will also be available through KPN stores in the Netherlands. Phones will be returned to Apple for recycling by its Daisy robots.

The company is celebrating the development on its homepage, with the top section devoted to its trade-in program and environmental credentials …


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Apple announces it has doubled the number of suppliers who are committed to running Apple production on 100% renewable energy

Apple crossed the 100% renewable energy goal for its own operations (headquarters, data centers, retail stores) this time last year. However, the company is also convincing supply chain partners to go green too.

Today, Apple announced that it has doubled the number of suppliers who have agreed to run Apple manufacturing on 100% renewable energy too. The supply chain will add 5 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2020, exceeding Apple’s original 4 gigawatt goal.


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Experts point to the multiple challenges Apple faces in working towards a mining-free future

Apple faces big challenges in working towards a mining-free future

Apple first promised a mining-free future back in 2017, saying it planned to eventually create all its devices from 100% recycled materials.

The company said at the time that it didn’t yet know how to achieve this, and experts today point to some of the challenges the company will face along the way to this grand vision …


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As Apple aims to stop mining the earth, electronics are now ‘the fastest-growing waste stream’

Electronics waste Apple

A new report today from Motherboard takes a look at the quickly escalating problem of electronics waste. It has now become the fastest-growing stream of waste in the world, with discarded devices’ raw materials currently being valued at $62.5 billion. While Apple has admirable goals like finding a way to stop mining the earth, does it have a responsibility to take more action now?

Announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development has some ideas on accelerating progress.


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Apple report explains how climate change could benefit the company as well as hurt it

Apple climate change

An Apple report on the business impact of climate change shows how extreme weather conditions could have benefits for the company as well as downsides.

The report was published by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a non-profit which aims to encourage companies to make the right choices about their environmental impact. Its reports collate company responses to questions about their policies, targets and performance – but the most interesting section is on the ‘risks and opportunities’ …


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Apple key in effort to commercialize aluminum production without greenhouse gas emissions

Aluminum is Apple’s go-to material for making many of its products sleek and durable, and now the company is taking serious steps to ensure using its favorite metal is also good for the planet.

Two major aluminum producers are announcing a “joint venture to commercialize patented technology that eliminates direct greenhouse gas emissions from the traditional smelting process,” and Apple played a key role in getting to this step.


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Comment: After 100% renewable energy, it’s time for Apple to really tackle product packaging

Apple yesterday announced a really impressive achievement: its entire global operations are now 100% powered by renewable energy. That encompasses everything from retail stores and local offices through data centers to its Apple Park campus.

Unlike many companies, Apple doesn’t cheat by buying offsets.

“You could go out and buy carbon credits and offsets–nope,” says Jackson firmly. “You could go out and wait for other people to do projects and say ‘Can I have some of that please? How much will you charge me for some of your clean energy?’ No.”

Last time it updated us, the figure was 96%. When you don’t cheat, getting there with that last few percent is a far bigger achievement than it might sound, and I think Apple deserves every credit for this …


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All Apple operations now run off 100% renewable energy

[Update: Apple has shared a press release on its environmental progress and hitting 100% renewable energy.]

Apple has finally hit its goal of running its own operations off 100% renewable energy. All Apple facilities, from Apple Park to its data centers to worldwide fleet of Apple retail stores, are now solely powered by green energy. Last year, it was close at 96%, but now it’s finally hit the magic 100 number.

This figure does not include Apple’s third-party suppliers or manufacturers, although the company is convincing many of those to switch to 100% renewable sources too …


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Apple warns EPA killing Clean Power Plan would cause competitive disadvantage with China, increased investment uncertainty

Apple Earth Day 2017 LIAM Reincarnation

Apple is speaking out against the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to repeal efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Reuters reports. In a new filing, Apple cites “increased investment uncertainty” for the company and its supplier partners if the Clean Power Plan is reversed.


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Apple details environmental efforts in its ‘Paper and Packaging Strategy’ report

Last month, Apple shared an environmental report specific to the iPhone X. One detail in the report is that “100 percent of packaging fibers are sourced from responsibly managed forests, bamboo, waste sugarcane, or recycled paper.” Now, Apple has released a white paper thoroughly detailing its “Paper and Packaging Strategy”.


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Apple touts environmental credentials of iPhone X with model-specific report

Apple is proud of its environmental credentials, and publishes an annual Environmental Responsibility Report to describe its goals and the actions taken to achieve them. But the company has now gone further, and published a specific environmental report on the upcoming iPhone X.

The four-page report details everything from the breakdown of materials used to produce both the phone and its packaging, through to the greenhouse gas emissions involved in every stage from production to eventual recycling …


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