Apple tonight announced the company is now generating enough clean energy to cover the totality of its operations in China, and then some. In addition, Apple also announced two new programs aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of its partners in the region.
With the construction of 40 megawatts of solar projects in the Sichuan Province now complete, Apple’s operations in China are now carbon-neutral, meaning the company produces more electricity than its offices and retail stores use.
Not content of going 100% green in China, Apple also wants to reduce the carbon footprint of its suppliers in the country by launching two programs.
The first program will see the company build more than 200 megawatts of solar projects in the country, the equivalent of the electricity used by 265,000 households, to offset the energy used by its manufacturing partners.
The second program aims at helping Apple’s manufacturing partners become more energy efficient by guiding them through best practices, providing hands-on assistance, and more. The company has partnered with Foxconn which has agreed to build 400 megawatts of solar by 2018.
Apple’s stance on environmental issues has been pretty clear since Tim Cook took the reins of the company. Along with its fight for equality, and the right to privacy, Apple has become a major actor in today’s environmental issues. Let’s hope more companies will follow.
Source: Apple press release