Green Energy: How Apple Is an Industry Power

On July 12, Apple announced that it was launching a new investment fund to enable its Chinese suppliers to more easily tap into renewable energy sources.

Over the next four years, Apple and 10 of its suppliers – although yet more could yet enter the fold – will pour almost $300 million into the China Clean Energy Fund. The more than a gigawatt of renewable energy that this fund is set to spark will add to what is already a long list of Apple’s achievements for the planet’s health.

CUTTING THE CARBON BUT NOT THE GREAT SERVICES

In the press release announcing the China Clean Energy Fund, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, enthused: “At Apple, we are proud to join with companies that are stepping up to address the climate challenge”. She further expressed her hope that the model of the Fund “can be replicated globally to help businesses of all sizes make a significant positive impact on our planet.” Apple has already set a high bar for eco-conscious firms...

Under its Click Clean initiative, the environmental charity Greenpeace has pressured tech giants to mine more of their energy from renewable sources. Companies including Google and Facebook have committed to reaching this end – and Apple has fared well on its own scorecard. As indicated on the Click Clean website, Apple services including iTunes, iMessage and Apple Music have all been graded A by Greenpeace on their use of renewable energy.

Not that Apple is resting on its laurels in this area – far from it. As Tim Cook told CNNMoney’s Senior Tech Correspondent Laurie Segall in a video interview, Apple has introduced a raft of new features that will help its customers to use iOS 12 more time-effectively when that major version of the operating system launches. Naturally, the less time Apple fans spend using their devices, the fewer carbon emissions that will be produced as a result.