Apple has taken a huge step in its environmental journey. In fact, the company has unveiled its first-ever carbon neutral products, with the launch of the new lineup of Apple Watches. Indeed this is a major achievement for the company’s environmental goals. It’s a key part of the Apple carbon neutrality plan for its entire business.
This move shows real progress towards the company’s ambitious “Apple 2030” climate goal. The goal is to make every single Apple product carbon neutral by the end of the decade. As a result, this first lineup of watches serves as a blueprint for Apple’s future products.
A New Milestone for Apple Carbon Neutrality
The new lineup of Apple Watch marks a major milestone for Apple carbon neutrality. In fact, several new models are the first products from the company to achieve this status. This is a tangible result of years of environmental work.
Specifically, the carbon neutral options are very precise. The carbon neutral status for the aluminum Apple Watch Series 9 requires a new Sport Loop band. The same is true for the aluminum Apple Watch SE with a Sport Loop.
In addition, the high-end Apple Watch Ultra 2 is also part of this lineup. The watch requires a new Trail Loop or Alpine Loop to be carbon neutral. As a result, customers can now buy an Apple product with a net-zero climate impact for the first time.
The Three Pillars of Carbon Neutrality
So, how did Apple make these watches carbon neutral? The company’s strategy rests on three key pillars. First, Apple focused on using better materials: each carbon neutral watch is made with at least 30% recycled or renewable material. This reduces the carbon footprint from the very start of the production process.
Second, Apple tackled electricity usage. The manufacturing of these watches is powered by 100% clean electricity. In addition, Apple accounts for the expected energy customers will use to charge their watches over time.
Finally, the third pillar is transportation. To help with this, Apple redesigned the packaging for the Apple Watch. The new boxes are smaller and more compact. As a result, 25 percent more devices can fit in a single shipment. Apple also ships at least half of these products without using planes. Instead, they use ocean or ground shipping, which has a much lower carbon impact. These steps together reduce emissions for each watch by over 75%.
A Major Step Towards the “Apple 2030” Climate Goal
These carbon neutral watches are a big milestone. However, they are just one part of a much larger plan. This plan is called Apple 2030. It is the company’s ambitious climate goal for the end of the decade.
With Apple 2030, the company aims to make every single product carbon neutral. This includes its entire global supply chain. It also covers the energy customers use over the device’s lifetime. To do this, Apple plans to cut its overall carbon emissions by 75% from 2015 levels.
Apple is already making great progress toward this goal. In fact, its total emissions are down 45% since 2015. This happened even while the company’s revenue grew by 65%. As a result, the new watches are a powerful proof that the Apple 2030 plan is working.
The Future of Apple Carbon Neutrality
The first carbon neutral watch is just the beginning. Apple has made it clear that this product is a blueprint for the future. In fact, the lessons learned from this process will be applied to other devices. This means products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac will likely follow a similar path.
To achieve this, Apple will scale up its three key strategies. The company will find more ways to use clean energy and recycled materials. In addition, it will continue to reduce emissions from shipping. This is the core of the company’s plan for achieving Apple carbon neutrality.
To cover the small amount of remaining emissions, Apple uses high-quality carbon credits. The company has even created its own Restore Fund to invest in these projects. For the Apple Watch, for example, these credits support forest and wetland projects in Brazil and Paraguay. This final step is what makes the products fully carbon neutral.
Apple’s vision extends even further than 2030. In fact, the company is also working toward a 90 percent reduction in emissions by 2050. To get there, Apple says collective action is needed. This includes help from governments, businesses, and individuals to fight climate change.
Ultimately, the carbon neutral watch is more than just a single product. It is the first proof of a massive change happening across Apple’s entire business.
