As part of its commitment towards a sustainable environment, Apple aims to be 100% carbon neutral by 2030 across its business; corporate offices, retail stores, and complete product life cycle. However, the tech giants semiconductor and electronics partners are facing challenges in achieving that goal.
To reduce its carbon footprint, the tech giant uses recycled material to manufacture new products, powers its retail stores and corporate offices with solar energy, and removed power adaptors and EarPods from iPhone and iPad boxes to reduce e-waste.
In its ‘Environmental Progress Report 2021’, the tech giant detailed that it is gradually shifting its entire value chain to 100% renewable energy for improvement of the environment. And its environmental-friendly indicators include “100+ suppliers committed to using 100% renewed electricity”.
Apple’s major chip supplier TSMC is showing slow progress in reducing carbon footprints
DigiTimes reports that the tech giant’s chip supplier, Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is making slow progress towards carbon neutrality by 2030 and Apple is forcing the manufacturer to take more assertive action.
While meeting net-zero carbon emissions goals by 2050 has become a globally important topic, meeting Apple’s 2030 carbon-neutral goal for its supply chain is more immediately pressing for many semiconductor and electronics companies in Taiwan.
TSMC produces A series Bionic chip for iPhone and Mac models on the most advance 5nm process and Apple is its biggest client. Therefore, both companies can not afford to lose the mutually beneficial partnership. In another report, DigiTimes detailed that TMSC is pushing its suppliers to go green.
Semiconductor foundry TSMC has established a 2030 energy-savings goal for its suppliers, partly driven by the fact that extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography consumes a large amount of hydrogen and generates a lot of carbon dioxide (CO2). Relevant suppliers plan to produce “green hydrogen” to reduce carbon emissions.
The 2030 energy-saving and carbon reduction goals TSMC has set for its suppliers have prompted suppliers to actively invest in green energy. It will also create more energy-saving and carbon-reduction solutions, such as for hydrogen production.