Apple revealed headway towards its 2025 and 2030 environmental targets made over the last year, highlighting cuts in global greenhouse emissions from its operations and milestones in the use of recycled materials within devices.
In its 2024 environmental progress report published today (16 April), the iPhone maker stated it surpassed 99 per cent use of both recycled rare earth elements in magnets and cobalt in Apple-designed batteries.
“Magnets are by far the most significant use of rare earth elements in Apple products overall, and Apple-designed batteries comprise over 97 per cent of Apple’s total cobalt use,” the company noted, adding it is “committed to sourcing both recycled and primary minerals responsibly”.
Across its operations, the company recorded a 60 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with the level recorded in 2015, as it continues to push towards carbon neutrality by 2030.
This compares with a level of 55 per cent reduction from the 2015 baseline it recorded in 2023.
Apple’s target for the end of the decade is a 75 per cent cut with “high-quality carbon credits” used to “balance the remaining emissions”.
The company’s VP environment, policy and social initiatives Lisa Jackson said its green targets touch “every part of our business”, adding “today, we’re using more clean energy and recycled materials to make our products than ever before, we’re preserving water and preventing waste around the world, and we’re investing big in nature”.