Apple has announced today that it is partnering with the World Wildlife Fund in China to protect and create sustainable forests that produce paper for its product packaging. The company also intends to expand its renewable energy projects to manufacturing facilities in China.
Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environmental Initiatives, said the following:
“Forests, like energy, can be renewable resources. We believe we can run on naturally renewable resources and ensure that we protect—and create—as much sustainable working forest as needed to produce the virgin paper in our product packaging. This is an important step toward that goal and our commitment to leave the world better than we found it.”
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, also weighed in with his comment, saying the following:
"We’ve set an example by greening our data centers, retail stores and corporate offices, and we’re ready to start leading the way toward reducing carbon emissions from manufacturing. This won’t happen overnight—in fact it will take years—but it’s important work that has to happen, and Apple is in a unique position to take the initiative toward this ambitious goal. It is a responsibility we accept. We are excited to work with leaders in our supply chain who want to be on the cutting edge of China’s green transformation.”
Lo Sze Ping, Chief Executive Officer for WWF China, also cared to share his point of view
"Apple’s support for this project and its environmental leadership show that protecting forests is not just good for society but important for business. This collaboration between our two organizations will seek to reduce China’s ecological footprint by helping produce more wood from responsibly managed forests within its own borders. Doing so is essential to China, the world’s biggest timber importer. Our hope is this will catalyze a new model of corporate leadership in promoting sustainable forest management and using paper resources more efficiently and responsibly around the world.”
The announcement comes three weeks after Apple launched its first major solar project in China. Apple will partner with a number of Chinese companies on its expansion of renewable energy projects. Apple will be able to generate up to 80 million kilowatt-hours per year of clean energy which is enough to power 61,000 Chinese homes, according to Apple.
Source:
Apple
