Apple announces big investment plans in clean energy; partners with CleanMax in India

Apple has announced investment plans to expand its clean energy footprint around the world as part of the ‘Apple 2030’ initiative aiming to be carbon neutral across its entire value chain by 2030. While Apple’s global operations and supply chain is powered by more than 18 gigawatts of clean electricity, the Cupertino-based tech giant is investing more in solar power in the US and Europe.

Apple signs joint venture with CleanMax

In India, Apple has signed a joint venture with CleanMax to invest in a portfolio of six rooftop solar projects with a total size of 14.4 megawatts. “The added capacity provides a local solution to power Apple’s offices, its two retail stores in the country, and other operations in India. Apple first achieved 100 percent renewable energy for its global corporate operations in 2018,” as per a statement by Apple.

As part of its broader environmental efforts, Apple also advanced progress toward another ambitious 2030 goal: to replenish 100 percent of the freshwater used in corporate operations in high-stress locations.

In states of Telangana and Maharashtra, Apple has initiated fresh water replenishment work in some of the “highest-stress locations” where the company operates. Last year, Apple achieved its target for 100 percent water replenishment for the company’s corporate operations in India through its ongoing work with Uptime Catalyst Facility. “In 2023, Apple’s support provided 23 million gallons of clean, affordable drinking water to communities from over 300 water kiosks run by local entrepreneurs in the innovative performance-based program,” it added.

Apple's smart water stewardship

In addition to pursuing watershed restoration and other nature-based replenishment solutions in high-stress areas, Apple claims to be committed to “smart water stewardship” across the business.

In 2021, Apple’s data centre in Prineville, Oregon, became the first-ever data centre certified to the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) International Water Stewardship Standard, a trusted global framework for measuring responsible water stewardship. Since then, Apple has certified four additional data centres to the Standard and supported 20 supplier sites in achieving certification as well.

In the past year, seven supplier sites in southern India and over 20 supplier sites near Shanghai and Suzhou in China have participated in water stewardship training with AWS and others in the industry.

“Clean energy and water are foundational to healthy communities and essential building blocks for a responsible business. We’re racing toward our ambitious Apple 2030 climate goal while taking on the long-term work to transform electrical grids and restore watersheds to build a cleaner future for all," said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives.