Apple’s efforts to prevent climate change are the best, but there is a catch

At the recent iPhone 15 launch event, Apple went to great lengths to talk about its dedication to environmental preservation, positioning itself first in corporate sustainability. However, according to new reports from Stand.earth and Greenpeace, despite Apple being the clear leader in terms of taking steps to prevent climate change, its achievements might be a little exaggerated.

According to Stand.earth’s report, which included six major tech giants—Apple, Dell, Google, HP, Microsoft, and Nvidia—Apple stood out in its commitment to the environment, even setting targets for its suppliers to shift to clean energy sources. This meant that not only was Apple taking the needed steps itself, but it was also forcing its suppliers to follow suit. Additionally, over 300 suppliers have committed to using only clean energy when producing Apple products by 2030.

Moreover, the report highlighted Apple’s commitment to the term “absolute” in emission reduction commitments. This is because some companies rely on Renewable Energy Certificates to assert carbon neutrality, potentially hiding genuine carbon emissions.

Another side of the coin

While Apple’s efforts in preventing climate change are ahead of every other company, a report from Greenpeace has showcased another revelation revolving around the company’s rapid release of products. This is because the regular release of new iPhone models, even with minimal changes, has a significant impact on the environment, considering the sheer scale of Apple.

Impact of the tech industry on the environment

To put things into perspective, the tech industry contributes 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, surpassing even the aviation sector. This means that every small step a company takes towards reducing its emissions could have a significant impact on protecting the environment.

Stand.earth’s report also includes steps these companies can take to reduce their carbon footprint. These include the strategic procurement of clean energy since power grids cannot currently meet companies’ aspirations of carbon neutrality. This has prompted many, including Apple, to resort to purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).

However, in an effort to address this issue, Apple, along with Google and Microsoft, is working on strategies to bring more clean energy into the local grids where they operate.