Apple pushes 100-plus manufacturing partners into renewable energy

Apple is getting more than 110 of its manufacturing partners to move to 100% renewable energy for their Apple production, it said Wednesday. The move is a step in the iPhone maker’s effort to become carbon neutral across its entire business by 2030. 

The change will cut down carbon emissions by 15 million metric tons each year, which Apple noted is the equivalent of taking more than 3.4 million cars off the road annually.

The Cupertino, California, company is setting up suppliers with country-specific resources that’ll help them move to renewable energy, through training and support for industry associations. It also created the China Clean Energy Fund, which lets Apple and its suppliers invest in clean energy projects in China.

Closer to home, it’s constructing California Flats, a grid-scale energy storage project that can store 240 megawatt-hours of energy, enough to power over 7,000 homes for one day. The solar farm project will reportedly use 85 Tesla Megapack battery units. Tesla unveiled the energy storage product in 2019. 

“In a year like no other, Apple continued to work with a global network of colleagues, companies, and advocates to help make our environmental efforts and everything we do a force for good in people’s lives — and to work alongside the communities most impacted by climate change,” Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president for environment, policy and social initiatives, said in a release.