Apple announced on March 24 that investment in Apple's $4.7 billion green bond has given a strong impetus to the development of new technologies for low-carbon production and recycling. Apple has been issuing green bonds since 2016, and projects supported in this way have proven that these investments can help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and bring clean energy to communities everywhere.
As part of this work, Apple will purchase direct carbon-free aluminum metals, the product of significant advances in smelting technology that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is the first time that carbon-free aluminum metal has been produced on an industrial scale outside of the laboratory, without any direct carbon emissions during the smelting process. The company is preparing to introduce this material to the iPhone SE model.
"Apple is committed to making our planet a better place, and the green bonds we issue are a key tool in our environmental progress." Lisa Jackson, apple's vice president of environmental, policy and social affairs, said, "Our investments are driving breakthrough technologies that help reduce the carbon footprint of the materials we use. We are moving towards our goal of using only recyclable and renewable materials in all our products to protect the planet's limited resources. ”
Apple issued a total of $4.7 billion in green bonds to accelerate the company's goal of becoming carbon neutral across the supply chain by the end of 2030. Funds received from the first two bonds issued in 2016 and 2017 have now been allocated. The green bonds issued in 2019 were used to support 50 projects, including breakthroughs in low-carbon aluminum metal processes. The 50 projects will mitigate or offset 2,883,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions, generate nearly 700 megawatts of installed renewable energy capacity worldwide, and facilitate research and development of new recycling technologies.
ELYSIS, the global pioneer of the carbonless aluminum metal smelting process, previously announced that it produced the first commercially pure primary aluminum on an industrial scale for use with Apple products. This breakthrough technology allows the smelting process to no longer produce greenhouse gases, but instead produces oxygen. This marks a milestone in the aluminium production process, one of the most widely used metals in the world. Apple will purchase the world's first commercially available purity low carbon aluminum from ELYSIS and plans to use it on the iPhone SE model. The aluminium is produced by ELYSIS using hydropower at its Industrial Research and Development Centre in Quebec, Canada.
Apple will purchase low-carbon aluminum from ELYSIS and plans to use it in the production of the iPhone SE model.
Apple's investment partnership with Alcoa, Rio Tinto and the governments of Canada and Quebec has been investing in this revolutionary process since 2018, and this revolutionary advance in the aluminum production process is the result of this collaboration. In 2019, Apple purchased the first commercial-grade aluminum produced by the partnership for production of the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
"This is the first time in history that commercially pure aluminum metal has been produced on an industrial scale without producing greenhouse gas emissions. The deal with Apple is a testament to the keen interest in aluminium produced using our breakthrough ELYSIS carbon-free smelting technology. The announcement today proves that ELYSIS, a joint venture between Alcoa and Rio Tinto, has the ability to turn ideas into reality. Vincent Christ, CEO of ELYSIS, said, "We are excited to partner with Apple to drive this advancement, which will have the potential to change the aluminum production process for a long time." ”
Apple has made significant progress in reducing the carbon impact of aluminum and other metals used in its products. Today's milestone further advances the process. By switching to recycled aluminum and aluminum smelted using hydropower instead of fossil fuels, the company has reduced its aluminium-related carbon emissions by nearly 70 percent since 2015. The entire iPad family, including the new iPad Air, and the latest MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini and Apple Watch cases are all made of 100% recycled aluminum.
Apple issues one of the highest amounts of green bonds in the private sector. The company continues to use these green bonds for the development of new renewable energy resources. More than $500 million of the company's 2019 green bond issuance was invested in clean energy projects. These projects include the world's largest onshore wind turbine, which generates electricity to power Apple's data center in Viborg, Denmark, while the remaining energy is integrated into the Danish grid.
Over the next year, Apple will expand operations in Viborg data centers and build new infrastructure to collect surplus heat for the long-term benefit of the city. As with Apple's data centers, green bond funds have contributed to all of Apple's offices and retail stores in 44 countries since 2018.
In 2021, Apple used the green bonds issued in 2019 to help support its suppliers' clean energy initiatives, including investments in training and resources, helping to guide suppliers to switch to clean energy, and conducting policy advocacy activities in Japan, Vietnam, and South Korea to help build cost-effective renewable energy markets. 175 production partners from 24 countries have now committed to using 100% renewable resources in the production of Apple products, an important milestone in ensuring that every Apple product achieves net zero climate impact.
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