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Apple likes to brand itself as a climate hero, but one of its largest suppliers is a laggard on renewable energy – despite the many green options in China.
In recent years, Apple has positioned itself as a climate leader. In 2020, the company said it had achieved carbon neutrality across its operations, and last September it released a short video in which Apple employees and CEO Tim Cook defended the company’s climate record. to Mother Nature herself.
However, Apple’s supply chain tells a different story. Some of the tech giant’s biggest suppliers, including the iPhone and giant Foxconn, have made little progress in reducing emissions. Apple shouldn’t present itself as a climate hero all the way to its entire supply chain, Foxconn adds. , achieves 100 percent renewable energy through high-impact procurement methods.
Second, Foxconn is expected to achieve its renewable energy goal through high-impact procurement forms that add new renewable energy capacity to the grid. Effective ways come with the signing of power acquisition agreements (PPAs), direct investment in renewable energy projects, and self-sufficiency. All of those features are feasible in mainland China, where 88% of Foxconn’s electricity consumption occurs.
Some of Foxconn’s rivals have already made significant progress in their transition to clean energy by taking advantage of China’s green power trading system, which allows users to purchase power from renewable energy generators. In 2023, final assembly company Luxshare Precision signed contracts to purchase 650 GWh of renewable energy through green power trading, placing it among the three biggest corporate buyers of renewable energy in mainland China.
As Foxconn expands globally, it is more than ever for the company to promote the progress of renewable energy. In May 2023, Foxconn held a groundbreaking rite for its new AirPod production facility on the outskirts of Hyderabad, India, where average concentrations of toxic air pollutants PM2. 5 exceed World Health Organization standards by more than 8 times. Still, Foxconn has not publicly announced how it will meet the new demand for electric power through renewables. By contrast, in November 2023, Amazon had committed to procuring electric power from 50 wind and solar projects across the country.
As extreme weather intensifies, Foxconn has felt the impact as well. In 2021, 380 more people were reported dead or missing due to record rainfall in Zhengzhou, China, where Foxconn’s largest iPhone assembly plant is located. a once-in-a-lifetime occasion in this millennium,” according to the Financial Times. The floods have tragically reminded us that we are far from winning the battle against the climate.
In the face of climate disaster, Apple must support Foxconn and other suppliers to achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2030. Apple has made progress on climate action, but a failure to adequately follow up on the climate commitments of its supply chain has consequences that extend far beyond the company’s sales figures. As the flooding in Zhengzhou shows us, much more action is needed before the climate battle is won.
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In recent years, Apple has positioned itself as a climate leader. In 2020, the company said it had achieved carbon neutrality across its operations, and last September it released a short video in which Apple employees and CEO Tim Cook defended the company’s climate record. to Mother Nature herself.
However, Apple’s supply chain tells a different story. Some of the tech giant’s biggest suppliers, including the iPhone and giant Foxconn, have made little progress in reducing emissions. Apple shouldn’t present itself as a climate hero all the way to its entire supply chain, Foxconn adds. , achieves 100 percent renewable energy through high-impact procurement methods.
Second, Foxconn is expected to achieve its renewable energy goal through high-impact procurement forms that add new renewable energy capacity to the grid. Effective ways come with the signing of power acquisition agreements (PPAs), direct investment in renewable energy projects, and self-sufficiency. All of those features are feasible in mainland China, where 88% of Foxconn’s electricity consumption occurs.
Some Foxconn competitors have already made significant progress in their transition to white energy by taking advantage of China’s green energy trading system, which allows users to purchase electricity from renewable energy generators. In 2023, the latest corporate meeting Luxshare Precision signed contracts for the procurement of 650 GWh of renewable energy through green energy trading, placing it among the three smartest renewable energy purchasing companies in mainland China.
As Foxconn expands globally, it is more important than ever that the company promotes renewable energy development. In May 2023, Foxconn held a ground-breaking ceremony for its new AirPod manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Hyderabad, India, where average concentrations of toxic PM2.5 air pollution exceed the World Health Organization guidelines by more than eightfold. Yet Foxconn has not publicly introduced plans for how it will meet new electricity demand with renewable energy. By contrast, as of November 2023, Amazon had committed to buy electricity from 50 wind and solar projects across the country.
As extreme weather intensifies, Foxconn has felt the impact as well. In 2021, 380 more people were reported dead or missing due to record rainfall in Zhengzhou, China, where Foxconn’s largest iPhone assembly plant is located. a once-in-a-lifetime occasion in this millennium,” according to the Financial Times. The floods have tragically reminded us that we are far from winning the battle against the climate.
In the face of climate disaster, Apple must support Foxconn and other suppliers to achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2030. Apple has made progress on climate action, but a failure to adequately follow up on the climate commitments of its supply chain has consequences that extend far beyond the company’s sales figures. As the flooding in Zhengzhou shows us, much more action is needed before the climate battle is won.
In recent years, Apple has positioned itself as a climate leader. In 2020, the company said it had achieved carbon neutrality across its operations, and last September it released a short video in which Apple employees and CEO Tim Cook defended the company’s climate record. Mother Nature herself.
However, Apple’s supply chain tells a different story. Some of the tech giant’s biggest suppliers, including iPhone giant Foxconn, have made little progress in reducing emissions. Apple should not present itself as a climate hero to its entire supply chain, adds Foxconn. , achieves 100 percent renewable energy through high-impact procurement methods.
Xueying Wu is a climate and energy campaigner based at Greenpeace East Asia.