Apple has these requirements for its suppliers
In the course of the production of its popular products, the US tech giant Apple also takes responsibility for its suppliers, who come from more than 50 different countries. That’s why the company has compiled a detailed code of conduct with very specific requirements for everyone involved in the production of Apple devices.
For example, one of the most important and, in the wake of the pandemic, also the most topical point is health and safety. According to its own statements, the company was able to protect more than two million people in 2020 thanks to its high safety and health standards. In the code of conduct for suppliers, the company also requires employees to be trained in their rights.
Another particularly important topic is environmental protection. Exactly 175 Apple suppliers have committed to making Apple products with 100 percent renewable energy. According to Apple itself, it is already CO2-neutral. By the year 2030, this should also apply to every product manufactured by Apple.
Apple and the environment
In addition to the climate targets for 2030, the US tech group has also added ten new projects for its “Power for Impact” initiative. These projects aim to provide underdeveloped communities with renewable energy while promoting economic growth and social impact. “Every company should be involved in the fight against climate change, and together with our suppliers and local communities, we are showing the opportunity and value that green innovation can bring,” said Tim Cook, the company’s CEO. For example, the company now supplies electricity to 3,500 households in South Africa that previously had no access to renewable energies. In Nigeria, the Group will support the development of a solar energy system that will power a health center in Ondo State and 200 households in the surrounding region. Other projects to protect the environment and renewable energies are being implemented in countries such as Colombia, Israel, Vietnam and Thailand.
Suppliers have problems with Apple’s environmental goals
However, Apple’s ambitious goals for environmental protection are not proving easy for many suppliers. In order to save more than 18 million tons of CO2 every year, the suppliers are to fall back on purely renewable energies in the future. According to a report by DigiTimes, this goal not only puts the Apple group itself under increasing pressure, but also its suppliers. The report primarily refers to one of the largest manufacturers of semiconductors in the world, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Although the company has succeeded in taking small steps towards climate neutrality, stricter measures are still needed to achieve Apple’s goals. According to DigiTimes, TSMC is particularly concerned about the high cost of achieving the goals. Equally difficult is the fact that TSMC itself has to make tougher specifications for its own suppliers, who also have problems with the adjustments. Achieving climate neutrality by 2030 is not only associated with high risks for the Taiwanese company, it is also hardly possible. In a previous report, the company said it would not be able to achieve carbon neutrality until 2050.
E. Schmal / Editor finanzen.net
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