Apple introduces second Impact Accelerator class on environmental services

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Apple on Thursday introduced its second Impact Accelerator class -- a cohort of 16 Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous-owned businesses working on environmental services and solutions.

As part of the company's Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, the Impact Accelerator will provide training and mentorship to help propel the selected businesses toward the next stage of growth while advancing a shared goal of creating a greener world, Apple said.

"The fight to address climate change demands that we band together to develop innovative solutions while empowering and uplifting the communities we're working to protect," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives.

The companies will participate in a three-month program. Executives and their teams will receive customized training that provides the knowledge and tools needed to succeed as an Apple supplier, access to Apple mentors and experts to help align business priorities with environmental goals, Apple said.

Following the program, the companies will be considered for business opportunities with Apple as it works to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire manufacturing supply chain by 2030. Apple has been carbon neutral for its corporate operations since 2020, according to the company.

The Impact Accelerator program launched last year with the goal of ensuring that the company's strategic work and investments to protect the environment also help expand access to opportunity for communities of color, Apple said.