Apple has announced two new clean energy programs aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of its manufacturing partners in China. Between now and 2020, the programs will prevent over 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution.
That’s the equivalent of taking nearly 4 million cars off the road, Apple says. The company also announced that construction on 40 megawatts of solar projects in the Sichuan Province, which were first revealed back in April, is now complete.
Thanks to these solar installations, Apple’s operations are no carbon neutral in China, with the company producing more than the total amount of electricity all of its offices and retail stores use. Apple is now hoping that other companies will follow in its footsteps.
“Climate change is one of the great challenges of our time, and the time for action is now,” said CEO Tim Cook.
“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.”
Apple is far from finished yet, though. It is now stepping up its efforts to be environmentally friendly in China by significantly expanding its clean-energy investments. It will begin by building more than 200 megawatts of solar projects in the northern, eastern and southern grid regions of China.
These projects will produce as much energy as that used by more than 265,000 Chinese homes in a year, offsetting some of the electricity used by its supply chain.
Apple then plans to launch a new initiative to encourage its manufacturing partners to become more energy efficient, and to use clean energy for their own operations. The company will partner with these suppliers to install more than 2 gigawatts of clean energy in the coming years.
“Apple also will share best practices in procuring clean energy and building high-quality renewable energy projects, and provide hands-on assistance to some suppliers in areas like energy efficiency audits, regulatory guidance and building strong partnerships to bring new clean energy projects to China,” the company’s press release reads.
As part of this program, Foxconn, one of Apple’s largest partners, will construct 400 megawatts of solar, starting in the Henan Province, by 2018. The company has vowed to produce as much energy as its Zhengzhou factory uses in assembling the iPhone.
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