A closer look at some of Apple's sustainability claims...
| Claim | Reality |
|---|---|
| “As of March 2023, over 250 suppliers have committed to transitioning to 100 percent renewable electricity for their Apple production, with over 85 percent of Apple's direct spend for materials, manufacturing, and assembly of our products worldwide included in those commitments” (8). Source | “Many of Apple’s suppliers still have only limited access to renewable energy. IPE noted in its report that, based on Apple’s own reporting, 24 percent of the 250 suppliers that have pledged to use renewable energy “are unable to achieve clean energy substitution through onsite renewable electricity or renewable power purchases, etc., and need to purchase renewable energy certificates. Such certificates, which are intended to help fund new renewable energy development, are “unlikely to lead to additional renewable energy production” and “threaten the integrity” of corporate emission reduction targets, according to a 2022 study published in the journal Nature.” “Some of Apple’s leading suppliers, such as Foxconn and Pegatron, report renewable energy made up just 8 percent or less of their electric power, according to a New Climate Institute assessment of the companies’ recent sustainability reports.” Source |
| “We’re committed to disclosing our carbon footprint as well as our climate strategy and progress” (10). “Governments should require that companies measure their emissions along the entire value chain and disclose those emissions publicly. Developing clear rules for disclosure across all scopes of emissions will create best practices, enhance the transparency and integrity of claims, and promote competitive innovation” (29). Source | “Fewer than 30 Apple suppliers disclosed facility level greenhouse gas emissions data to IPE in 2023, down from about 100 suppliers in prior years.” Source |
| "Apple will use 100% recycled cobalt in batteries by 2025" Source | Only 13% of cobalt used in iPhone batteries in 2021 was recycled. Achieving 100% recycled content by 2025 is ambitious and faces significant challenges. Source |
| "Apple's data centers run on 100% renewable energy." Source | Apple pays other energy users who derive a fraction of the energy usage from renewable energy to “credit” their renewable consumption to Apple. For example, a factory which gets 5% of its energy from wind power will “credit” that wind power to Apple, and Apple credits some of their coal-powered data center usage to the factory: Apple’s flagship data center in Maiden, NC, for example draws from the local Duke Energy grid with 51% nuclear power, 38% coal power, and less than 1% renewable sources in 2014, according to the latest report by Apple. Source |
| "[On optimizing recycling through partnerships and innovation,] we’re also continuing our partnership with Atea—a leading provider of IT infrastructure solutions in the Nordic and Baltic region — to collect end-of-life iPhone devices for recycling with our Daisy robot in the Netherlands" (46). Source | "Apple is only operating two Daisy models—one in the Netherlands and another at the company’s Material Recovery Lab in Texas." Source |
| "Each of our products and services is made possible by natural resources. We’re committed to sourcing, using, and recycling the materials that we rely on in a way that meets our high standards for labor, human rights, and environmental stewardship" (33). Source | While Apple promotes recycling, 60% of e-waste still ends up in landfills. The recycling process is labor-intensive and inefficient, and most materials used in electronics cannot be fully recovered. Recycling often sends materials to countries with lax labor laws, exacerbating environmental and social issues. Source |
| "This commitment extends across our operations and supply chain, so we use materials in a manner consistent with our values, we responsibly manage freshwater usage so that these resources will be available and safe for others in the community..." (33). Source | "According to its Environmental Progress Report, the company used 1.6 billion gallons of water across all its corporate facilities during the 2023 fiscal year, an increase from the 1.5 billion gallons reported in 2022 and 1.4 billion gallons reported in 2021. In 2023, 88 per cent of this was freshwater, defined as drinking quality water, sourced from municipal sites. A total of 8 per cent came from recycled water sources, with the majority from municipal treatment plants." Source |