Tim Cook talked Apple’s commitment to sustainability and renewable energy in a keynote speech at the Ceres 30th Anniversary Gala in New York City Monday night.
Ceres is a sustainability nonprofit that works with companies to tackle environmental issues. Cook described how Apple views battling climate change as an opportunity.
“We don’t see climate change as risk, but opportunity,” Cook reportedly told the audience. “With our supply chain partners, we see a chance to develop new and valuable competencies. And because it is the right thing to do.”
Companies have a responsibility to use their innovation and agility to lead on the climate crisis. Thank you to Ceres for their work and for this award — and to @LisaPJackson and the team for driving us all forward. ???
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 22, 2019
He also discussed how Apple was able to hit its target of powering its facilities with 100% renewable energy. Cook, who is no stranger to giving keynote speeches, was applauded for his comments.
After the event, Cook tweeted that: “Companies have a responsibility to use their innovation and agility to lead on the climate crisis. Thank you to Ceres for their work and for this award — and to [Apple’s environmental VP Lisa Jackson] and the team for driving us all forward.”
Climate change: Tim Cook’s journey to sustainability
Under Tim Cook’s leadership, Apple has heavily pushed its environmental initiatives. Before he took over, Apple was frequently slammed for its lack of environmental awareness. Greenpeace named it the “least green” tech company. Cook has helped change that. In 2013, the company announced that its data centers were all running on renewable energy. As Cook pointed out in his speech, 100% of Apple’s facilities are now powered using sustainable energy. Apple is also promoting the use of sustainable energy throughout its supply chain.
The company has also expanded its environmental focus elsewhere. For instance, it inked a bio-gas research agreement with Denmark’s University of Aarhus, in addition to funding a multi-year project in China to manage 1 million acres of forests.
