The news means that the total number of
renewable suppliers now stands at 44,
considerably more than a couple of years
ago. Amongst those suppliers are firms like
Gorilla Glass manufacturer Corning, Finisar,
responsible for Face ID modules, and Luxshare,
who assembles Apple’s AirPods. iPhone
assemblers like Foxconn, Pegatron, and Wistron
have also announced that they’re to rely
on renewable energy as part of their Apple
manufacturing process, although it’s unknown
whether the rest of their plants or operations
will follow suit in time. It’s a move that sets a
new standard in consumer tech: Apple applied
pressure to its partners to change the way they
manufacture Apple products, and that could
have an impact on the wider environment and
sector, leading to change at a faster pace.
According to an Apple press release, the
company now expects to add five gigawatts of
renewable energy to its supply chain by 2020,
which would exceed its goal of adding four
gigawatts in the same timeframe. Working with
suppliers to reduce emissions (manufacturing
makes up 74 percent of its carbon footprint)
Apple was able to spearhead change in clean
energy technology, including wind and solar,
and creating a greener, healthier supply chain.
APPLE’S $2.5 BILLION INVESTMENT
Alongside changes in Apple’s manufacturing
processes, the company recently announced
that it had allocated the $2.5 billion it
generated through green bonds, the largest
amount ever offered by a U.S. corporation.
In doing so, Apple has contributed to 40
initiatives around the world, including projects