Apple is making significant strides in its sustainability efforts, according to the company’s latest environmental progress report.
In 2024, Apple successfully reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 800,000 metric tons, representing a 5 percent decrease compared to the previous year. Over the last decade, the company has achieved a reduction of more than 60 percent in its global emissions, a considerable accomplishment in an era where emissions among many tech firms are climbing due to a surge in AI-related activities.
Apple reports a substantial reduction of more than 60 percent in its global greenhouse gas emissions
The company attributes its progress to initiatives such as sourcing renewable energy, designing eco-friendly products, and encouraging suppliers to implement sustainable practices. Last year alone, Apple’s suppliers managed to avoid nearly 24 million metric tons of emissions thanks to improved energy efficiency and renewable energy procurement.
In addition to tackling carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, Apple faces the challenge of addressing fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-GHGs), which are emitted during the production of semiconductors and flat-panel displays. The company reports that all its direct display suppliers have committed to reducing at least 90 percent of these gases from their operations related to Apple products. Likewise, 26 of Apple’s semiconductor suppliers are also making a similar commitment, though the exact impact on its supply chain remains unclear.
Last year, Apple increased its use of recycled materials, which constituted nearly 25 percent of the total materials in its products. Over 80 percent of the rare earth elements used—primarily found in magnets for devices—were sourced from recycled materials in 2024, up from 75 percent in 2023. The sourcing of recycled materials also included approximately 99 percent of tungsten, 71 percent of aluminum, 53 percent of lithium, 40 percent of gold, and 76 percent of cobalt.
Despite these achievements, Apple still emitted 15.3 million metric tons of gross carbon dioxide last year, equivalent to the emissions from around 40 gas-fired power plants in a year. Apple uses 2015 as its baseline year, during which it generated 38.4 million metric tons of CO2.
By 2030, Apple aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 75 percent from its 2015 levels, with an objective to eliminate 90 percent of those emissions by 2050. This targets align with the necessary measures identified by researchers to achieve the Paris Agreement goals to combat climate change.
