Apple Releases 13th Annual Supplier Responsibility Progress Report
Milestones Achieved in Environmental Protection, Education Initiatives
Expanded
CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apple® today released its 13th annual Supplier Responsibility Progress
Report detailing how the company is expanding educational opportunities
and protecting the planet’s resources. As of 2018, 17.3 million supplier
employees have been trained on workplace rights, and 3.6 million have
received advanced education and skills training. All final assembly
sites for iPhone®, iPad®, Mac®, Apple Watch®, AirPods® and HomePod™ are
now certified Zero Waste to Landfill, while conserving billions of
gallons of water and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“In everything we do, people come first,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s
chief operating officer. “We are constantly raising the bar for
ourselves and our suppliers because we are committed to the
people who make our products possible as well as the planet
we all share. This year, we’re proud to give more people an opportunity
to advance their education. Working alongside our suppliers, we’re
challenging ourselves to find new ways to keep our planet healthy for
future generations. Our goal has always been not just to drive progress
in our supply chain, but to drive meaningful change across the industry.”
In 2018, Apple built on its existing educational and career-building
programs for supplier employees by adding courses that include App
Development with Swift. The program’s first participants created more
than 40 apps, ranging from workplace tools to games. Last year, more
than 1,500 employees at Apple suppliers earned a college degree, adding
to the thousands who have taken advantage of education
programming, which expands every year. Additionally, Apple has worked
with its suppliers to create health training programs that have reached
more than 250,000 people globally, and include courses on nutrition and
maternal health.
Apple has also strengthened its efforts to help its supply chain
conserve resources, expand the adoption of safer chemicals and reduce
pollution. In prioritizing Zero Waste to Landfill, Apple suppliers have
diverted 1 million tons of garbage in three years. Apple’s clean water
program expanded to 116 suppliers, resulting in 7.6 billion gallons of
water saved in 2018 — one gallon for every person on the planet. The
company also worked with suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
more than 466,000 annualized metric tons, which is equivalent to taking
100,000 cars off the road for one year.
Every year, Apple demands its suppliers meet higher standards for safe
and respectful workplaces. Companies are assessed according to Apple’s
Supplier Code of Conduct, which includes more than 500 criteria, and
Apple works with suppliers on the ground to achieve improvements where
needed. In 2018, the company increased support for new mothers — leading
the industry in requiring suppliers to provide nursing rooms on site. To
make sure suppliers were meeting this and other standards, Apple
conducted 770 assessments of facilities in more than 30 countries in
2018, covering 93 percent of the company’s supplier spend.
Learn more about Apple’s progress in the new Supplier
Responsibility Progress Report.
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the
Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with
iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software
platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences
across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services
including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more
than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on
earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
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iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods and HomePod are trademarks of Apple Inc.
Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective
owners.
Contacts
Apple
Press Contacts:
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[email protected]
Keri
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