Apple has announced it has more than doubled the number of suppliers committed to using 100% clean energy over the last year, accelerating progress toward its ambitious 2030 goal to be carbon neutral across its supply chain and products.

The company will also support ten new renewable energy projects worldwide through its ‘Power for Impact’ program.

In all, 175 Apple suppliers will transition to using renewable energy, and the company and its suppliers will bring online more than 9 GW of clean power around the world. These actions will avoid over 18 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually — the equivalent of taking over 4 million cars off the road each year.

The company added ten new projects for its first-of-a-kind ‘Power for Impact’ initiative to bring clean energy solutions to communities worldwide. These projects are designed to provide renewable power to under-resourced communities while supporting economic growth and social impact.

Apple said that each of its devices sold by 2030 would have a net-zero climate impact. The company has reduced its carbon emissions by 40% over the past five years.

In the United States, 19 suppliers of Apple were scaling their use of renewable energy across their operations. In Europe, 19 suppliers are now part of the program, the company said.

In China, 50 suppliers had joined the program, while in India, Japan, and South Korea, 31 suppliers had committed to it.

Apple said that it was also creating new pathways for using recycled materials, collaborating with suppliers to move toward a circular economy that eliminates the need for carbon-intensive mining and conserves resources. This includes recycled gold, cobalt, aluminum, and rare earth elements, among other materials that are now part of Apple products.

In April this year, Apple announced that over 110 of its manufacturing partners worldwide were moving to 100% renewable energy.

In a report in 2020, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) said that Apple had remained at the top spot for the second year in a row for corporate solar installations, with 398.3 MW of capacity installed. Amazon grabbed the second spot with 369 MW installed.

Apple had also planned to invest in two onshore wind turbines near the Danish town of Esbjerg to expand its renewable energy portfolio in Europe. Apple’s German-based supplier Vartaalso also committed to utilizing 100% renewable energy for its production lines.

Image credit: Apple