Three More Apple Suppliers Commit to Using 100 Percent Renewable Energy

[MacRumors]

Three additional Apple suppliers, including Compal Electronics, Sunwoda Electronic, and Biel Crystal Manufactory, have promised to use 100 percent renewable energy when manufacturing iPhone components, Apple VP of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson told Bloomberg in an interview.

96 percent of the energy Apple uses comes from renewable sources like wind and solar, allowing the company to reduce its carbon footprint, and in 26 countries, Apple facilities are powered with 100 percent renewable energy. With much of its own company using renewable energy, Apple has started focusing on its suppliers to further its sustainability efforts.

"We look at our carbon footprint as so much more than just our office, our data centers, our stores, even our distribution centers," Jackson told Bloomberg Television. "All that's included in our 96 percent, but now we're moving onto our supply chain."

Late last month, Apple promised to honor the commitment it made under the Obama administration to fight climate change, and today, Jackson said Apple plans to continue on its path and make its values known to the Trump administration, which has started to rescind environmental rules and protections.

"One thing this administration has made clear is that they want to hear from business and so we're going to do everything we can to make our values known," Jackson said.

Along with Compal Electronics, Sunwoda Electronic, and Biel Crystal Manufactory, four other suppliers have committed to using clean energy: Lens Technology, Solvay Specialty Polymers, Catcher Technology, and Ibiden. In March, Apple said that by the end of 2018, the company and its supplier partners expect to generate more than 2.5 billion kilowatt hours of clean energy per year.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Three More Apple Suppliers Commit to Using 100 Percent Renewable Energy

 

[LordQ]

This is very, very, very good.

 

[whyamihere]

Biel Crystal Manufactory is a great company, they keep you looking marvelous...

 

[Avieshek]

If Samsung (and the Chinese OEMs that copy Apple) also start doing the same.

 

[modemthug]

I'm a pro-oil Texan and this is awesome. Good for Apple

 

[konqerror]

How much is that versus total energy use? Fact is that semiconductor and LCD manufacturing is ridiculously energy intensive. Not only that, they use high-GWP gasses (which isn't affected by "energy"). Sure Catcher machines aluminum cases, but that's little versus aluminum smelters, who need their own power plants.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

I'm a pro-oil Texan and this is awesome. Good for Apple

Now I have the rich texan image from the simpsons stuck in my head. You should add that as your profile image

 

[macTW]

Whether you like Apple or not, it does stand behinds it's values and is changing the world.

 

[masterhiggins]

I hope it's smug and virtue-free.

 

[zoetmb]

I'm a pro-oil Texan and this is awesome. Good for Apple

Texas gets a bad environmental rap. There is more wind energy being generated in Texas per capita than anywhere else in the country. If you believe the stereotypes and politics, you'd think there'd be none. I have to admit to being very surprised when I found this out.

Companies should be flexible enough so that they don't consider themselves in the oil business, but rather in the energy business and be open to developing and marketing any kind of energy (the cleaner the better).

One of the reasons all the private commuter railroads went out of business in the U.S. is because the railroad companies considered themselves to be in the railroad business, not the transportation business. If they realized the latter, they would have built commuter lines to airports, etc. Similarly, the movie studios almost went out of business in the 1950's because they at first refused to produce for television. They thought they were in the movie business, not the entertainment business.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Curious how home-based employees factor into this.

 

[Porco]

Good on Apple for being amongst those leading where (most) politicians fear to tread (and I certainly don't just mean in the US).

Apple's attitude on this subject (as well as others that people constantly criticise for them expressing an opinion on) is part of why I still want them to do well, and why I'm still minded to spend more money on their products than rival companies, all else being equal.

Lisa Jackson certainly seems to be doing a great job, so kudos to her too.

 

[coolfactor]

Curious how home-based employees factor into this.

I'm a home-based worker (not for Apple), and it sure does require discipline. Being self-employed, I do get to set my own hours to a certain extent, but I also work far more hours than I'm paid for. I prefer working when others are sleeping.

I'm a huge believer in telecommuting/teleworking, and hope that Apple gets behind this. The technology exists. But they just finished building a huge campus so that all of their staff can be together in one complex. Ironic.

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

Whether you like Apple or not, it does stand behinds it's values and is changing the world.

Yeah they installed nets for the chinamen who fling themselves out of the building every August and Sept. They've also made it aware to everyone who didn't know that Ireland is a hell of a tax haven. Changing the world!

 

[autrefois]

Good to hear. The more companies going renewable, the better.

Is MacRumors run on solar/renewable energy? Just curious.

 

[Col4bin]

I applaud Apple of their efforts and appreciate that they lead by example. We need other companies just as powerful to do more of the same.

 

[Nevaborn]

I'm a home-based worker (not for Apple), and it sure does require discipline. Being self-employed, I do get to set my own hours to a certain extent, but I also work far more hours than I'm paid for. I prefer working when others are sleeping.

I'm a huge believer in telecommuting/teleworking, and hope that Apple gets behind this. The technology exists. But they just finished building a huge campus so that all of their staff can be together in one complex. Ironic.

I am a big advocate of teleworking and the good old conference call. But there is still no substitute I have found for physically being somewhere and being able to interact with others in a creative space. You get to feed off each other's energy in the room. Also if you were at the new campus why would you not want to be there.

 

[C64]

I have and will be using Apple products regardless of these efforts, but it does feel good supporting a company that's in the news for things like this.