Apple has been a longtime advocate for green energy, especially solar. This spring, the company stated that all of its facilities, including offices, retail stores, and data servers, run on 100% renewable energy sources. Now, the latest news from their headquarters shows Apple's attempt to take responsibility for the company's global emissions. Executives recently announced their commitment to addressing climate change by investing in the China Clean Energy Fund.

Although based in California, Apple outsources many manufacturing jobs to various Asian countries, including China. The fund is meant to connect Chinese suppliers with access to renewable energy, thus decreasing carbon emissions in Apple's supply chain.

The China Clean Energy Fund will invest in and develop renewable energy projects, primarily solar and wind. The completed projects are predicted to produce over one gigawatt of energy, or the equivalent of powering nearly 1 million homes. In order to achieve this massive goal, Apple is investing $300 million over the next four years.

Apple has been an environmental advocate for decades now and has historically relied heavily on solar energy. In fact, Apple Park, their new headquarters in Cupertino, California, is powered by a 17-megawatt rooftop solar array. However, their recent announcement shows their dedication to tackling global environmental issues and is allowing them to make an important statement about corporate social responsibility.

Apples massive solar array in Cupertino (Source: Apple)

Apples headquarters in Cupertino, California is powered by 100 percent renewable energy.

Lisa Jackson, Apples vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives expressed her excitement for the project saying:

œ...were thrilled so many of our suppliers are participating in the fund and hope this model can be replicated globally to help businesses of all sizes make a significant positive impact on our planet.

Apple is setting an amazing precedent for environmental advocacy, and we can only hope other companies will see the numerous benefits renewable energy has to offer and follow suit!