Technology to utilize the forces of nature for doing work to supply human needs is as old as the first sailing ship. But attention swung away from renewable sources as the industrial revolution progressed on the basis of the concentrated energy locked up in fossil fuels. This was compounded by the increasing use of reticulated electricity based on fossil fuels and the importance of portable high-density energy sources for transport – the era of oil.
Likewise, Apple has manufacturing partners that now support over 13 gigawatts of renewable electricity around the world, a nearly 30 percent increase in the last year. In total, more than 250 suppliers operating across 28 countries are committed to using renewable energy for all Apple production by 2030. This represents more than 85 percent of the company’s direct manufacturing spend and more than 20 gigawatts in commitments. These milestones mark the major steps in the company's history. As a part of Apple 2030, the company is planning to broaden its environmental efforts and has planned to use leather in its phones.
Apple Event 2023
This year's Apple event has been branded 'Wonderlust,' implying that the products unveiled during the event may inspire amazement and wonderment. The Apple event was held on September 12. The event began at 10:30 p.m. IST in India. The iPhone 15 series went on sale for pre-order on September 15 and could hit stores a week later on September 22.
The annual Apple event in September is one of the most anticipated tech events of the year. Apple revealed its next iPhone series, Apple Watch, and a few surprises. It was Apple’s second event of the year, following the WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference). Unlike WWDC, the event was primarily focused on the end user and included product releases, feature announcements, hands-on demonstrations, and more. The event is normally held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, at the company headquarters. The highly anticipated iPhone 15 series, which could comprise the regular iPhone 15, the larger iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 15, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, is likely to be announced during this year's Apple event. Aside from that, the Apple Watch Series 9 is scheduled to be introduced. Reports suggest that new AirPods and HomePod devices will be launched during this year's event.
Apple’s Sustainable Approach
More than 300 manufacturers have now committed to employing 100 percent renewable energy for Apple production by 2030 as part of the company's ongoing efforts to decarbonize its worldwide supply chain. More than 50 new commitments from suppliers in the United States, Europe, and Asia have fueled recent growth in Apple's Supplier Clean Energy Program, which now accounts for more than 90 percent of the company's direct manufacturing cost. The achievement gets Apple closer to its ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral across all products by 2030.
Sarah Chandler, Apple's vice president of Environment and Supply Chain Innovation, says, "As we experience record temperatures and devastating storms, we all have an urgent responsibility to reduce emissions and protect against the worst impacts of climate change. At Apple, we're proud that so many of our suppliers are taking action to help us achieve our goal of becoming carbon neutral.”
Apple's 2030 strategy is centered on the science-based aim of lowering emissions by 75 percent by the end of the decade, having already been carbon neutral for its global corporate activities since 2020. Since 2015, Apple has worked closely with its global suppliers to address the electricity required in the production of Apple goods. Manufacturing is the single largest source of emissions in the company's carbon footprint, and using 100 percent renewable energy to power it is a significant driver in making all Apple products carbon neutral, including the new Apple Watch series.
Through Apple's Supplier Clean Energy Programme, suppliers from 28 countries have pledged to bring more than 20 gigatonnes of renewable energy online. Skyworks Solutions, Analogue Devices, Cirrus Logic, and other new partners in advanced manufacturing technologies include Skyworks Solutions in the United States and Renesas Electronics in Japan.
This year, the number of participating Korean vendors has increased by about 30 percent to 23. In China, 14 more companies, including Jingmen GEM, a provider of crucial recycled materials used in Apple products, have agreed to employ renewable energy by April 2023. Companies such as Sappi Limited, LeMur, and Schoeller Textil AG have recently joined from throughout Europe, bringing the total to 34 suppliers.
Apple has been tracking suppliers' annual progress in reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, and in the autumn of 2022, the company called on suppliers to decarbonize their Apple production by 2030. In 2022, Apple's supply chain's 13.7 gigatonnes of renewable energy averted 17.4 million metric tonnes of carbon emissions, the equivalent of removing approximately 3.8 million automobiles from the road. With Apple's assistance in identifying sources of high-quality renewable energy, many suppliers have chosen to decarbonize beyond Apple's production.
Apple's environmental efforts have resulted in a 45 percent reduction in global emissions since 2015, despite the company's growth. Apple is continuing to invest in environmentally creative techniques, such as low-carbon product design, new recycling technology, its Restore Fund, and $4.7 billion in Green Bonds.
When is Apple’s Next Event Scheduled for?
Apple's late-fall event usually takes place in October or November. For example, in 2022, there were rumors of an October event, but Apple instead issued press announcements for the new 10th-generation iPad and M2 iPad Pro. Apple has conducted four late-fall events in the last six years (including a double-header in 2020), so it's anyone's guess whether it will happen this year.
In contrast to the September event's normal focus on the iPhone and Apple Watch, Apple has traditionally used its late-fall event to announce new Macs and iPads. That might suggest the release of the M3 chip in 2023, which could come in the next 24-inch iMac, although we may have to wait until 2024 for that. An update to the iPad mini 7 or the 14-inch iPad Pro is another possibility for the late 2023 event.