Carbon-free aluminium to green projects, Apple Inc. on its way to net-zero

In March, Apple Inc. announced its first trial application of carbon-free aluminium smelting for the aluminium used in the iPhone SE 2022 and presently, low-carbon aluminium is applied in the production of the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple elucidates that increasing the device's energy efficiency can significantly shrink the carbon emissions generated during its use. The M1 chip, for example, is said to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 34 per cent due to low power requirements per watt.

On October 25, 2022, Apple Inc. stated it would go for new investments to build European solar and wind projects. The world-famous consumer electronics house advised its suppliers and traders to reduce the carbon content to zero in operations linked to manufacturing iPhones and other products. With its commitment to eliminate carbon emissions by 2030, the company committed to eliminating them from all its businesses, including products and the vast supply chain from Vietnam to Brazil.

As part of its carbon neutrality targets, Apple will now require its suppliers to report their progress towards reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions associated with manufacturing Apple products and review yearly growth.

Apple said, "More than 200 traders and suppliers, which have responsibility for 70 per cent of Apple’s direct manufacturing spend, including Nitto Denko Corp Corning Inc, SK Hynix Inc, STMicroelectronics, and Yuto, have put forward their commitment to using clean energy, such as wind or solar power, for all Apple manufacturing."

Over the next four years, Apple and ten participating suppliers will invest nearly $300 million in the China Clean Energy Fund. Over a gigawatt of renewable energy will be invested in and developed by the fund, equal to powering nearly a million homes.