Apple Reiterates Commitment to Obama Era Climate Pledge

Apple has said it will honor the commitment it made under the Obama administration to fight climate change, regardless of actions by President Trump to dismantle his predecessor's environmental policies (via Bloomberg).

Back in April 2016, Apple, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft filed an amicus brief in support of the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan, which aimed to cut carbon pollution produced by power generators, despite pushback from energy companies. Earlier this week, Trump signed an order telling the EPA to rescind the Clean Power Plan and reconsider all Obama era climate rules, including those relating to building leases and oil pipelines.

In response to Trump's order, Apple, Amazon, Google and Microsoft issued a joint statement signaling their continued determination to cut energy costs and address the risks posed by climate change to future business growth.

"We believe that strong clean energy and climate policies, like the Clean Power Plan, can make renewable energy supplies more robust and address the serious threat of climate change while also supporting American competitiveness, innovation, and job growth," the companies said in a joint statement after Trump's order was signed.

Procter & Gamble, Nestle, Ikea, Levi Strauss & Co., and Best Buy, which all signed the 2015 pledge organized by the Obama administration, also said they still intended to honor their commitments.

The pledges comes despite support for Trump's order from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which called it "vital to stimulating economic growth". The group argues that Obama's regulations risk a jump in energy prices, and that they have already held back growth by preventing the construction of pipelines, roads, and other infrastructure. The Independent Petroleum Association of America, which represents oil and natural gas producers, also praised Trump's move.

Apple's renewed commitment to the Obama era pledge is in line with its overarching aim to become a global clean energy company. More than 93 percent of Apple's worldwide operations are said to be powered by renewable energy. Earlier this month, it announced that component supplier Ibiden would become the first company in Japan to guarantee all of its Apple manufacturing will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy. Chinese suppliers have agreed similar commitments.

Beyond manufacturing, Apple's new headquarters in California will be powered by one of the largest onsite corporate solar energy installations in the world. Likewise, all of the company's data centers are powered by 100 percent renewable energy, as are 145 of its U.S. retail stores, and the large majority of its corporate facilities.

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