Apple Sustainability Report 2021
Apple Sustainability Report Think Different — But Not Too Different.
01
“We don’t pretend to have all the answers. What we do have are goals to strive for, and a global community of businesses committed to doing the right thing by people and the planet. “ Lisa Jackson, Vice President Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives
02
“Apple is a technology company, but we never forget that the devices we make are imagined by human minds, built by human hands, and are meant to improve human lives.” – Tim Cook, CEO
03
Table of Contents
01 02 03 04
Education
Environment
Inclusion & Diversion
Supplier Responsibility 04
Section
01 – Education Apple has been part of the ConnectED initiative since 2014, pledging $100 million of teaching and learning solutions to 114 under-served schools across the country. We’ve donated an iPad to every student, a Mac and iPad to every teacher, and an Apple TV to every classroom. And we’ve implemented a process that provides planning, professional learning, and ongoing guidance so every school can experience the transformational power of technology.
05
n
01 02 03 04
Apple and ConnectED Establishing Goals Building Infrustructure Delivering Devices to Students
06
01
Education
Apple and ConnectED
07
760,320 feet of Internet cable have been installed in Apple ConnectED schools.
95
Apple ConnectED schools have received upgrades to wireless networks.
4,400+
teachers are using iPad in Apple ConnectED schools.
08
01
Establis Education
“We all met to come up with our vision, mission statement, goals, and challenges.” –Tommy Evans, Aide
Every school faces unique challenges. That’s
powerful vision — that children are capable of
Apple ConnectED school to craft a vision for
motto is: College begins in prekindergarten,”
why we meet with administrators from each the role of technology in their classrooms.
As part of this planning, we work with school
leadership to form a core group of individuals
responsible for defining clear, measurable goals. At Berkley Campostella Early Childhood
Education Center in Norfolk, Virginia, Principal Dr. Doreatha White leads her faculty with a
09
anything if you give them the right tools. “Our
she says. “We have to guide a student’s whole thinking toward being successful beyond pre-K. But to truly start closing the digital
divide, we have to get our parents and the community to believe what we’re doing as well.”
shing Goals With that challenge in mind, Dr. White
children and prepare them for lifelong learning.
help parents understand the transformative
they’re also learning how to analyze and
created a community outreach program to power of technology in learning. And one
of her first goals was to get 100 percent of
the students’ parents to attend How to Use iPad with Your Child workshops, which she
That not only are they doing ABCs and 123s, synthesize instruction. And now they’re
excited about learning, which they’ll remember going into kindergarten and beyond.”
achieved with surprising ease. “In the
community’s eyes, it was a big thing. We could demonstrate how this would benefit their
10
01
Education
Building Infrustructure “If you can understand the system, you can maintain it.” – Tommy Evans, Aide
Many Apple ConnectED schools do not have
management of the devices. Tommy Evans,
department. So before any products are
for the role. “They showed us where a signal
a strong network or a dedicated technology
delivered, Apple Project Engineers conduct a full survey of the school’s existing wireless infrastructure and help install or upgrade a network.
In the remote village of Nanwalek, Alaska, the
goes and how to tailor equipment around
students’ needs,” he says. “When things were put in place, it took off like a rocket.” The new wireless infrastructure has
profoundly affected the school, especially
K–12 school was making plans to improve its
students like Evans’s daughter, Tessie, who is
Our engineers consulted with district officials
she felt like she was the only one who is deaf.”
slow, satellite-provided Internet connection. to ensure that the school’s wireless
infrastructure would not only be fast, but
would also be ready to support the arrival of over 100 new Apple products. In addition to working with the district’s off site IT team, Apple Project Managers needed to find someone local to handle day-to-day
11
an aide and parent in the village, volunteered
hearing impaired. “Because we’re so isolated, But soon, Tessie was using Face Time and other iPad apps to communicate with
students and mentors all over the world.
Learn more about how access to technology connected Nanwalek students to the world
beyond their shores in a free book written by Principal Nancy Kleine.
“I’ve had to slow down because I get so excited about all you can do.” – Kit Gordon, Teacher To help every teacher become comfortable
that surrounds the school, Gordon teaches a
team provides a series of workshops
irrigation device invented in ancient Greece.
with new technology, the Apple Education
lesson about the Archimedes screw, an
designed specifically for educators. We start
Using animated simulations in apps, the
Apple TV into their curriculum and lessons,
3D look at how the machine works so they
engaging books, presentations, and other
In 2017, Gordon became part of the Apple
by helping them integrate iPad, Mac, and
then show them how to create original and learning materials.
“Apple made sure not to overwhelm us,” says Kirt Gordon, a third-grade teacher at Salida
del Sol Elementary School in Yuma, Arizona. “We could approach each session in small
lesson enables students to rotate iPad for a
can create models of their own.
Distinguished Educators (ADE) program, which celebrates pioneers of classroom technology. He is one of 13 ConnectED
teachers to join the global ADE community.
segments, enabling those of us who were further along to advance on our own.” Inspired by his professional learning
workshops and the agricultural community
12
01
Education
Delivering Devices to Students With a strong infrastructure and inspired
screenplays using GarageBand. Tyrell, who
teachers, schools are ready to put an iPad into
was a sixth-grader at Westview Middle
All over the country, students at Apple
presentation in Keynote about the Bahamas
each student’s hands.
ConnectED schools are using iPad to learn in ways they never could have imagined.
Daveon was a ninth-grader at Riverview
Gardens High School in St. Louis, Missouri,
School in St. Louis, created a multimedia
after he used Flyover in Maps to take a tour of the islands. And in Nanwalek, Alaska, a
student named Severan discovered how important math is in pursuing his dream
when he used iMovie on his new iPad to direct
of being a pilot. He used apps like IXL and
surrounding his school and community,
tables, concepts he planned to put into action
a documentary about the misconceptions narrated by teachers and fellow students.
Creating the film gave Daveon a way to share
Notes to learn about angles and multiplication flying supplies and people to his village.
his perspective publicly. “It was like I stepped into a new reality,” he said.
In Mr. Nunez’s Language Arts class in Yuma, Arizona, students are learning about rhyme and meter by directing and recording
“When something’s on iPad, it’s automatically fun.” – Leondis, Student
13
Section
02 – Environm Designing for low carbon. We’re making products with more recycled materials and working to reduce the amount of energy these devices use. Increasing energy efficiency. We’re using energy more efficiently across retail stores, offices, data centers, and manufacturing sites. Using renewable energy. We’re committed to transitioning our entire manufacturing supply chain to 100% renewable electricity generated from solar, wind, and other renewable projects. 15
ment
01 02 03 04
Climate Solution More Power To You One Less Thing Earth Won’t Wait, Neither Will We
Avoiding direct emissions. We’re innovating the processes in our facilities and supply chain to avoid greenhouse gas emissions. Investing in nature-based solutions. We’re investing in working forests and ecosystem restoration in ways that respect communities and remove carbon from the atmosphere.
16
02
Environment
Climate solutions can help dismantle systemic barriers. Communities of color around the world
use 100% recycled rare earth elements in
change.
Taptic Engine, and 100% recycled tin in the
often bear the greatest impact of climate But environmental solutions can help
advance equity for these communities.
Apple’s Impact Accelerator supports
Black- and Brown‑owned businesses and innovations that can also drive positive
outcomes in our supply chain. The Impact
Accelerator is part of our Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI), which focuses on efforts that address education, economic
equality, and criminal justice reform in the
United States. REJI’s Impact Accelerator can help bring opportunity to Black and Brown businesses while creating innovative
solutions to climate change. iPhone is 100%
committed to using 100% recycled materials. iPhone relies on the availability of high-quality materials.
Our goal is to one day source all of these
valuable resources only from renewable and recycled alternatives. We’ve recently
transitioned to 100% recycled gold in the
plating of the main logic board and the wire in the front camera and rear cameras. We now
17
all magnets, 100% recycled tungsten in the solder of the main logic board and battery
management unit. We’ve also redesigned the packaging to create an unboxing experience that’s better for the environment, and just as delightful for you.
Energy-saving products reduce our carbon footprint. And yours.
Product energy use makes up 19% of our carbon footprint and affects the carbon footprint of each customer. Designing
products that require less energy is one of the
major ways we can lower their carbon impact, even as they’re being used. Innovations in energy efficiency in one product can
influence another. When you multiply these
improvements by all the Apple devices in the world, you’ll see the difference it can make. Nature can help us get to neutral.
Apple strives to bring our emissions down as
low as possible. But there are some emissions we can’t yet avoid. To remove unavoidable
carbon emissions from the atmosphere, we are looking to nature‑based solutions.
2B
Over 2 billion acres of restored savanna can remove hundreds of millions of tons of carbon from the atmosphere every year.
94K
94,000 acres have been added to Peru’s Alto Mayo Protected Area.
27K
27,000 acres of restored mangrove forest can store up to 1 million metric tons of carbon over its lifetime.
18
02
More P Environment
Clean energy works best when shared.
people and progress one renewable energy project at a time.
We’ve made it our business to be 100% carbon neutral.
In April 2020, Apple achieved the exciting
19
Now that Apple Inc. runs on 100% clean
milestone of becoming 100% carbon neutral
democratizing access to renewable
part of this achievement was transitioning
Power for Impact program has funded
the retail stores you visit and the Apple data
social benefits. Solar projects in the
our commitment to green technologies even
provide cost-effective clean energy to us and
new renewables around the world. And to
challenges. And this year we announced our
now, we’ve partnered with Conservation
wind turbines in Denmark. We’re powering
estore grasslands, wetlands, and forests.
energy, we’ve turned our efforts to
across all of our corporate operations. A big
electricity around the world. Since 2019, our
in 2018 to 100% renewable electricity in all
projects with clear carbon, ecological, and
centers that run your devices. We’re taking
Philippines, Thailand, and South Africa help
further by investing in the development of
to communities facing energy access
help address emissions that we can’t avoid
investment in the world’s largest onshore
International on projects that protect and
Power To You Using recycled aluminum in devices
100% recycled aluminum alloy that can be
Many Apple products use aluminum as a
performance and durability. It has allowed us
lowers their carbon impact. And yours.
primary material. It’s strong and durable, and it helps your devices last longer. While all Apple devices with aluminum enclosures contain some recycled aluminum, making every product carbon neutral by 2030 means
incorporating even more recycled content.
To achieve this, we’ve engineered our own
recycled indefinitely while maintaining to transition to using 100% recycled
aluminum in the enclosures of many devices.
And when we have to use virgin aluminum, we work with our suppliers to source aluminum
smelted primarily with low-carbon sources of electricity, like hydroelectricity, further reducing our carbon footprint.
20
02
Environment
One Less Thing... Fewer chargers mean less environmen-
now in the 24‑inch iMac, is the first chip
amounts of certain materials, including
to run tasks as efficiently as possible,
tal impact. Power adapters use the largest
plastic, copper, tin, and zinc. Since removing them from iPhone and Apple Watch
packaging, we’ve avoided mining a significant amount of materials from the earth, and we’ve eliminated the emissions that come from
processing and transporting them. Using
smaller, lighter packaging lets us ship more
boxes at once, which helps reduce our carbon footprint. Leaving out adapters was a bold
change for Apple, and a necessary one for our planet.
iMac is designed to take carbon out of the equation. We design our products to have a lighter environmental footprint. The 24‑inch iMac is evidence. Not only is its enclosure
made with low-carbon aluminum, but it also uses recycled plastic, recycled tin, and
recycled rare earth elements. The M1 chip,
21
designed specifically for Mac. M1 is designed delivering outstanding performance while using significantly less power.
Products created with safety in mind.
Apple focuses on safety in product designs and strives to protect the people who
design, make, use, and recycle our products. We’re conducting industry-leading work to map, test, and switch to safer chemicals in
our products and manufacturing processes. The materials in Apple products are tested
to evaluate their compliance with our list of
regulated substances. We’re in the process
of collecting the chemical composition of all
the materials in our products to further assess their effect on human health and the
environment. Today more than 700 parts and
material suppliers share chemical information with Apple.
22
23
02
Environment
Earth Won’t Wait Neither Will We At final assembly sites, nothing goes
Built to last as long as you love it.
suppliers provides support to eliminate waste
Our goal is to build long-lasting products
to waste. Apple’s Zero Waste Program for going to landfills through reduction, reuse,
and recycling. We started by focusing on our highest waste producers: final assembly
facilities. Apple has already achieved zero
waste certifications for all established final
assembly facilities across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod, Apple TV, and Beats.8 We’re continuing to expand
our program beyond final assembly sites to include component manufacturers, and we won’t stop until we reach our goal of zero waste.
Durability is central to Apple’s product design. that you can rely on to handle the rigors of
everyday use. At the Reliability Testing Lab,
our engineers design customized, automated jigs that recreate the repetitive actions and
interactions a device might undergo, such as repeatedly pressing an individual key. Free
software updates can also increase product
longevity by offering access to new features and functionality for both the latest devices and older ones. And when repairs are needed, we provide easy access to
high-quality repairs through Apple retail
stores, through our worldwide network of over 5000 Apple Authorized Service
Providers, and through shipment to Apple Repair Centers.
Climate solutions can help dismantle systemic barriers. 24
Section
03 – Inclusion Employee feedback is put into action. Our people are at the heart of our progress. Their voices and ideas drive innovation in everything we do — from informing racial justice initiatives to the inclusive benefits that support employees of all backgrounds through every life stage. Recently, people and communities across Apple have helped shape our internal inclusion and diversity strategy, the Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, and new product innovations like the Black Unity watch band.
25
01 02 03 04
& Diversion
Connection In DNA Where We Stand
26
All managers take inclusive leadership
training. Equitable, inclusive experiences for all employees begin with equipping
our leaders with the resources they need. Apple’s more than 15,000 managers take training on unconscious bias and
inclusive leadership. And managers are offered expert-led courses to support their ongoing education on topics
including race and justice, allyship, and
more. Plans are reviewed and progress is tracked.
03
Connec Inclusion & Diversion
culture of belonging through education,
Our internal culture is built so that everyone, in every part of Apple, feels supported, valued,
connected, and empowered to do the best work of their lives.
We know we are all better at what we do when we’re free to be who we are.
Building connections and understanding within Apple.
For more than 30 years, Apple employees have found community and connection in Apple’s Diversity Network Associations
(DNAs). These employee‑led groups foster a
29
leadership development, networking, and
volunteering — while also encouraging the
kind of open dialogue that leads to stronger allyship across Apple. Today over 47,000
Apple employees across the globe belong to groups like Accessibility@Apple, Amigos@
Apple, the Apple Asian Association, the Apple Indian Association, Black@Apple,
Indigenous@Apple, Pride@Apple, and
Women@Apple, and a range of faith‑based and cultural groups.
Whether thought-provoking or entertaining, each experience is designed to deepen connection and understanding.
ct in DNA Continuing to take action for communities everywhere.
We’ll continue to speak openly about our efforts to eradicate systemic racism and
injustice. We remain steadfast advocates on
behalf of LGBTQ+ people because LGBTQ+ rights are human rights. We stay true to our
values by acting when policies unfairly target
immigrants and other communities. And we’ll always stand against prejudice in any form.
30
03
Inclusion & Diversion
Where we The future is stand today. bright. We have about 160,000 talented
Currently, more than 60% of our Retail team
proud that when people join Apple, they find
leadership in the U.S. come from
employees across the world. And we are
fulfillment for many years. That also means
increasing overall representation takes time. Every hiring decision is made one role, and one person, at a time. We are taking
meaningful actions for more diverse
representation across every part of the
business. Because just 1% of over a hundred thousand represents change for thousands of people.
31
members and more than 50% of Retail
underrepresented communities. We continue
to make strides with our population of women, who represent 35% of global team members. And since 2014, we’ve seen continued progress with 35% growth for our U.S.
underrepresented communities and 50%
growth for our global population of women.
Global Female Representation
U.S. Underrepresented Community Representation
32
Section
04 – Supplier R How we make is as important as what we make. Putting people first. Opening doors through education. And protecting the planet. We are deeply committed to working with our suppliers to ensure that the people in our supply chain are safe at work, that they are treated with dignity and respect, and that our planet is protected throughout the process of building our products. This responsibility goes far beyond compliance: it is a collective responsibility that includes supporting our suppliers in achieving the highest standards of labor, human rights, environmental protection, and health and safety.
33
01 02 03 04
Responsibility
COVID–19
Respected Rights Learning Opportunities Raising The Highbar
34
04
35
Supplier Responsibility
36
04
37
Supplier Responsibility
38
04
39
Supplier Responsibility
40
04
Supplier Responsibility
It’s a high bar. And we keep raising it. Apple has eyes and ears on the ground in hundreds of facilities in more than 50 countries. We partner closely with our suppliers to help them meet and exceed our workplace and environmental requirements. We also engage with independent human rights and environmental organizations and openly share our tools and l earnings with other companies and industries. Because the best way to accelerate progress is together.
1121 83% assessments of suppliers in 53 countries conducted in 2021
41
high–performing supplier facilities, a 36–point increase in five years