Apple CEO calls for stronger climate action

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Apple's CEO Tim Cook on Saturday delivered a speech at the United Nations' Climate Ambition Summit to call for stronger climate action.

"This is an important gathering ... At this moment of historic urgency, every leader -- of nations, of companies and of communities -- has a particular burden to act," Cook said via video link.

According to Cook, Apple has accelerated the progress and become carbon neutral for its worldwide corporate emissions.

The company also unveiled a plan in July to achieve carbon neutrality for its entire supply chain and product usage by 2030 -- 20 years before the goal set by the United Nations.

"Already, we're helping 95 of our suppliers' transition to 100 percent renewable energy -- a number we continue to grow," Cook said at the summit.

"We see every part of our device life cycle -- from design to manufacturing, to durability and repair, to recycling -- as an opportunity for environmental innovation, moving us toward our goal of a closed-loop supply chain," he added.

In the company's 2020 Environmental Progress Report, Apple details its plans to reduce emissions by 75 percent by 2030 while developing innovative carbon removal solutions for the remaining 25 percent of its comprehensive footprint.

One day before Apple announced the carbon-neutral plan, Isabel Ge Mahe, the company's vice president and managing director of Greater China, said during an interview with Xinhua that Apple was very impressed with China's determination and investment in environmental protection, and looking forward to working closely with Chinese local suppliers to achieve its goals by 2030.