Apple on Wednesday updated the world on its ongoing efforts to make its Chinese supply chain 100% environmentally friendly. The iPhone maker spotlighted supplier Lens Technology for its commitment to run its Apple operations on 100% renewable energy.
Lens Technology has committed to power all of its glass production for Apple with 100 percent renewable energy by the end of 2018, as part of Apple’s industry-leading supply chain clean energy program announced last year. Lens is the first supplier to make a clean energy commitment for all of its Apple production, and will meet its goal through an unprecedented power purchase agreement with local wind projects.
Apple says all 14 of its final assembly sites in China are now compliant with UL’s Zero Waste to Landfill validation. The UL standard certifies all of their manufacturing waste is reused, recycled, composted, or, when necessary, converted into energy. The company says since the program began in January 2015, the sites have diverted more than 140,000 metric tons of waste from landfills.
“We want to show the world that you can manufacture responsibly and we’re working alongside our suppliers to help them lower their environmental impact in China,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “We congratulate Lens for their bold step, and hope by sharing the lessons we’ve learned in our transition to renewable energy, our suppliers will continue to access clean power projects, moving China closer to its green manufacturing goals.”
“Our power purchase agreement is the first of its kind in southern China and we hope it will serve as an example for other companies looking to transition to cleaner, more economical sources of power,” said Lens CEO Zhou Qunfei. “We’re pleased to be the first supplier to commit to covering all of our Apple production with renewable energy, and proud to source from local Hunan wind farms to power our facilities in Changsha.”
Wind energy will supply 100% of the energy consumed for producing Apple products at the Lens facilities in the Changsha, Hunan province by 2018. That will avoid putting nearly 450,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year, equivalent to the energy use in 380,000 Chinese homes.
Apple is partnering with its Chinese suppliers to install more than 2 gigawatts of new clean energy in the coming years, preventing over 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution in the country between now and 2020. Foxconn has committed to the construction of 400 megawatts of solar, starting in Henan province, by 2018. The manufacturer is now well on its way to constructing the first 80 megawatts of that commitment.
Today, Apple is powering 100% of its operations in China and the U.S., and more than 93% of its worldwide operations, with renewable energy. for more information about Apple’s environmental efforts, visit the Apple website.
