By Isabelle Robinson, M.Sc.Jun 28 2018.jpg)
Image Credit: Shutterstock/asharkyu
Consumer electronics leader, Apple, has recently announced that the entire business is run on renewable energy. The statement was released after the company hit its target of 100% renewable power in its datacenter estate in 2014.
Using Renewable Energy in Business Operations
According to the electronics giant, the entire business is now committed to using green energy. This includes all the retail stores, offices and data centers which operate over 43 countries globally. In addition to this, the company boasts that many of its manufacturing partners are also converting to renewable energy when engineering their products.
Currently, over 23 suppliers of Apple products have now pledged to support the company with its green policies. As a result of their contribution to the initiative, 1.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide has not been released into the atmosphere during 2017.
We’re committed to leaving the world better than we found it. After years of hardwork we’re proud to have reached this significant milestone. We’re going to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the materials in our products, the way we recycle them, our facilities and our work with suppliers to establish new creative and forward-looking sources of renewable energy because we know the future depends on it.
Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
Greener and Sustainable Technologies
In addition to this milestone, Apple has also helped finance 25 green energy projects around the world. These projects provide 626 megawatts of renewable energy. Also, Apple is currently constructing 15 similar projects globally which centers on creating solar panels, wind farm, biogas fuel cells and other energy storage technology.
Apple isn’t the only company that has committed to 100% renewable energy. RE100 is a global initiative with 136 companies committed to running their companies on green energy. The list contains a wide variety of companies, including Walmart and Coca-Cola. The latter of which has pledged to reach 100% renewable energy by 2020. RE100 is a partnership between The Climate Group and the CDP.
The coalition is important because, according to IRENA, the commercial and industrial sectors account for up to two-thirds of the world’s electricity. The companies in the sector can effect the demand for renewable energy and lead to a low carbon economy. (The Climate Group, n.d.)
Apple is soon to hear about the construction of its datacenter in Ireland, which has been previously delayed. Furthermore, the electronics giant confirmed, during the latter part of 2017, that they plan to construct another green energy datacenter in Denmark and yet another, 400,000 square foot datacenter in Waukee, Iowa.
These efforts have been praised by environmental groups such as Greenpeace which released a Clicking Clean report in 2017. The company has also garnered the respect of the electronics community, by leading the way to a newer, greener and more sustainable internet. (Donnelly, 2018)
References
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