The giant tech company Apple is going ever greener in China, with the launch of two clean energy projects designed to reduce the carbon footprints of its supply chain and manufacturing partners.
The
first initiative involves building 200 megawatts of solar projects that
will produce energy to offset energy expended in Apple's supply chain.
The second project will see Apple work with its manufacturing partners
to become more energy efficient, installing more than 2 gigawatts of
clean energy production over the next few years. It did not reveal what
percentage of its energy use that represents. Between
them the projects will prevent 20 million metric tonnes of greenhouse
gases pouring into the atmosphere between now and 2020. Apple claims
this will have the equivalent effect of taking 4 million passenger
vehicles off the road.
Since Tim Cook took over as CEO of
the Cupertino, California-based company, Apple has been keen to show
the world it has a social conscience. Over the past two years it has been working hard to boost its green credentials,
powering data centres with clean energy and buying 36,000 acres of
forest in Maine and North Carolina. Apple is one of several tech giants,
along with Facebook and Google,
trying to make the industry greener, and as the world's most highly
valued tech company it's in a strong position to instigate change in
electronics manufacturing. Having made steps in its own operations, the
next big challenge is to persuade its partners to do the same.
"Climate
change is one of the great challenges of our time, and the time for
action is now," Cook said in a statement. "The transition to a new green
economy requires innovation, ambition and purpose. We believe
passionately in leaving the world better than we found it and hope that
many other suppliers, partners and other companies join us in this
important effort."
Significant parts of
Apple's operations take place in China, where much of the world's
electronics manufacturing happens. Chinese manufacturing relies heavily
on coal for electricity generation, which Apple is hoping to change with
its latest initiatives. Environmental advocacy group Greenpeace
has praised the steps Apple is taking toward building a renewably
powered supply chain for its products -- something it believes all
governments and companies must eventually transition to.
"We
have seen Apple lead the sector in building a renewably powered
Internet, and hope that Samsung, Microsoft and other IT companies will
follow their lead in manufacturing their cutting-edge devices with a
21st century energy supply," Greenpeace USA senior IT sector analyst
Gary Cook said in a statement.
Apple has endured a protracted and ongoing struggle
to persuade the world that it takes human rights and labour issues in
China seriously, but it hasn't ignored environmental issues. This latest
set of initiatives complements a series of commitments the company announced in May.
These included a multi-year project in conjunction with the World
Wildlife Fund to protect 1 million acres of Chinese forestland.The
company has also recently completed the construction of 40 megawatts of
solar projects in Sichuan Province that produce more energy than Apple
uses in its stores and offices in the whole of China.
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