Lisa Jackson

There’s recycled gold in them there iPhones

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Daisy the robot can disassemble up to 1.2 million phones each year.
Daisy the robot can disassemble up to 1.2 million phones each year, helping Apple recover more valuable materials for recycling.
Photo: Apple

For the first time, Apple is putting certified recycled gold in the iPhone. It’s part of the company’s increased use of recycled content across its products. Because of these efforts, nearly 20% of all material used in Apple products in 2021 was recycled, a new high point for the company.

“As people around the world join in celebrating Earth Day, we are making real progress in our work to address the climate crisis and to one day make our products without taking anything from the earth,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, in a press release Tuesday.

Apple also added a new shredderbot that rips apart audio modules to its robot recycling crew.

Apple picks 15 Black- and Brown-owned businesses for new environmental Impact Accelerator

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Apple Store
Apple pushes for 'a greener and more equitable future for all people.'
Photo: Apple

Apple on Tuesday confirmed it has chosen 15 Black- and Brown-owned businesses for a first-of-its kind Impact Accelerator to support equity and opportunity in the environmental sector.

The move is part of Cupertino’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, aimed at combatting systematic barriers to opportunity, while also advancing innovative solutions for communities most impacted by climate change.

Apple’s VP of environment joins New Jersey Council on the Green Economy

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Apple VP Lisa Jackson showcases Apple's environmental efforts during the Gather Round event.
Lisa Jackson has led many of Apple's green initiatives.
Photo: Apple

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, will join the New Jersey Council on the Green Economy, the state said Wednesday.

The council will focus on “expanding the green economy and building a diverse workforce” while supporting clean energy initiatives and anti-climate change goals.

Apple steps up renewable energy efforts in Europe with new investments

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Apple Denmark renewable energy
Apple will invest in two of the world's largest onshore wind turbines.
Photo: Apple

Apple on Thursday confirmed plans to expand its renewable energy footprint in Europe. Cupertino will invest in the world’s largest onshore wind turbines in Denmark and in new clean energy efforts in Germany.

The moves are part of Apple’s plan, announced last month, to become carbon neutral across its entire business and supply chain.

Apple meets Ukrainian politician following Crimea Maps controversy

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Apple meets Ukrainian politician following Crimea Maps controversy
Vadym Prystaiko previously told Apple to stay out of politics.
Photo: Vadym Prystaiko/Twitter

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s VP of environment, policy and social initiatives, met with Ukraine’s foreign minister at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This looks to be their first meeting after the recent controversy in which Apple displayed the annexed Crimea as Russian territory in two of its apps.

Vadym Prystaiko previously told Apple that it should stay out of politics, and stick to “high-tech and entertainment.”

Apple is helping to restore grasslands in Kenya’s Chyulu Hills

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Apple has partnered with Conservation International to fund restoration in Kenya’s Chyulu Hills.
Apple has partnered with Conservation International to fund conservation.
Photo: Ninara/Flickr CC

As part of its environmental efforts, Apple recently made a donation to nonprofit Conservation International. Apple’s money will help restore degraded grasslands in the Chyulu Hills of Kenya.

“By restoring tens of thousands of hectares in the Chyulu Hills, we can remove carbon from the air, protect a critical wildlife corridor for elephants, and support the livelihoods of the Maasai people,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s VP of environmental, social, and policy initiatives.

Apple massively expands its global recycling programs

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Apple iPhone recycling
Apple has already recycled nearly 1 million devices.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s efforts to be the greenest company in tech continue with a major expansion to its global recycling programs.

It will be easier than ever for customers to send old iPhone units off for recycling. Apple is also opening a new Material Recovery Lab in Austin, Texas. The lab will use robots and machine learning to improve the company’s recycling processes.

Apple expands coding initiatives in Indonesia and Singapore

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Apple coding initiative
It will be easier to access Apple's coding courses in Southeast Asia.
Photo: Apple

Apple this week confirmed the expansion of coding initiatives in Southeast Asia.

The company is opening a second Apple Developer Academy in Surabaya, Indonesia, to help aspiring developers. It also plans to expand its App Development with Swift curriculum at partner schools in Singapore.

Apple invests to save Colombian mangrove forest

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Apple invests in mangrove forests like this one. They could be key to fighting climate change.
Mangrove forests like this one could be key to fighting climate change.
Photo: Blue Forests/Flickr CC

Apple is on a mission to help save the world’s disappearing mangrove forests.

Mangrove forests suck up a huge amount of carbon dioxide from the air. Half of all mangrove forests on Earth have been lost since 1940, but Apple is making a big investment to help save one particular forest in Colombia in an effort to curb climate change.

Why it’s a big deal that Lisa Jackson spoke at Apple’s iPhone XS event

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Apple VP Lisa Jackson showcases Apple's environmental efforts during the Gather Round event.
Lisa Jackson showcases Apple's green innovation during the Gather Round event.
Photo: Apple

It’s an incredibly big deal that Wednesday’s Gather Round keynote featured Lisa Jackson, Apple’s head of environmental initiatives.

The annual iPhone unveiling is Apple’s biggest product event of the year. Every single word and image is carefully calibrated to do one thing, and one thing only: sell as many of the new products as possible.

So why did Tim Cook turn over several precious minutes to Jackson to talk about renewable energy and recycling?

Tim Cook attends Trump’s first state dinner

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tariffs
Tim Cook sat down to dinner with Donald Trump, along with dozens of other politicians and CEOs.
Photos: White House/Apple

President Donald Trump held his first White House state dinner tonight since moving into the Oval Office, and Apple CEO Tim Cook was on the guest list.

The left-leaning Cook might have felt very much in the minority. Trump didn’t invite a single Democratic member of Congress to the dinner, but arch-conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch was in attendance.

Apple VP slams Trump’s EPA over lack of transparency

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Jackson
Apple should focus on building durable products, Lisa Jackson says.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s VP of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson has criticized the Trump administration for hurting the Environmental Protection Agency. Jackson worked as an administrator for the EPA during the first term of President Obama’s presidency, prior to taking her current job at Apple.

“The EPA has been run by Democrats, by Republicans, but has never, in its history — that is 40+ years old — been run by someone who seems to be determined to do the one thing that could destroy its credibility, which is not making it transparent,” Jackson told the audience at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference.

Apple grows a forest in quirky new Earth Day 2017 video

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Earth Day 2017 has long since passed but Apple’s still not done busting out its quirky videos that celebrate the company’s green environmental protection initiatives.

In Apple’s latest hand-drawn ad published today, the company showcased its efforts to preserve forests so that the paper used in all of its packaging is done in a sustainable way. With a goal of preserving nearly 1 million acres of forest by 2020, Apple hopes 99% of the fibers and papers will come responsible sources and recycling.

Watch Lisa Jackson explain:

Apple issues $1 billion green bond to fight climate change

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Can solar farms feed yaks?
Yak-friendly solar farms are one of Apple's big green projects.
Photo: Apple

Apple is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to fighting climate change.

This morning, the iPhone maker issued a new $1 billion bond on with a special rule that proceeds raised from the bond sale will go towards investment in renewable energy projects.

iPhone gets reincarnated in Apple’s new Earth Day ad

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L.I.A.M. works his magic in the new Apple ad.
L.I.A.M. works his magic in the new Apple ad.
Photo: Apple

Earth Day 2017 festivities ended over a month ago, but that’s not stopping Apple from busting out another one of the quirky cartoon videos it made for the holiday.

Apple published a new Earth Day video today that highlights the problems it faces in regards to recycling materials from old iPhones. The ad explains how iPhone parts get a second life after Apple’s robot Liam has stripped them all away.

Al Gore to talk climate change at SF Apple store

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Al Gore at the 2009 National Clean Energy Summit.
Al Gore at the 2009 National Clean Energy Summit.
Photo: Center for American Progress/Flickr CC

Al Gore will speak about climate change this week during an appearance at Apple’s flagship store in San Francisco.

The ex-veep — now a filmmaker, writer and environmental activist — will be joined by Apple VP of Environment Lisa Jackson, who served as head of the Environmental Protection Agency during the first four years of the Obama administration. Anyone can attend the event, during which the pair will talk about Apple’s ongoing commitment to the environment.

Apple convinces 3 more suppliers to switch to renewable energy

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One of Apple's many solar farms.
One of Apple's many solar farms.
Photo: Apple

Three more of Apple’s suppliers say they are committed to making the switch from energy generated from fossil fuels to using 100% renewable energy to make iPhone components.

Despite Donald Trump’s plan to roll back environmental regulations, Apple Inc is continuing on with the promises it made under the Obama administration. Even though it may cost more money initially, Apple’s partners are starting to realize the change is good for business too.

Apple to build 200-megawatt solar farm in Nevada

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One of Apple's many solar farms.
One of Apple's many solar farms.
Photo: Apple

Apple is taking another big step to make sure it can utilize 100 percent renewable energy for its operations by expanding the solar farm it uses in Nevada.

The company revealed today that it has reached an agreement with NV Energy to add infrastructure that will generate 200 megawatts of additional solar energy by 2019. Energy created by the project will go to power Apple’s Reno data center, but some of the power will also be available to residents.

Apple VP Lisa Jackson joins federal committee overseeing automation

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Jackson
Lisa Jackson presenting at an Apple keynote.
Photo: Apple

The U.S. Department of Transportation revealed that it has established a new advisory committee that will make recommendations in the field of automation.

Apple’s VP of environment and policy, Lisa Jackson, will be one of the committee’s 25 members that will work on some of the most important issues facing transportation, including self-driving cars.

Tim Cook to host fundraiser for Hillary Clinton

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Tim Cook
Apple's CEO is helping Democrats and Republicans raise money.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple CEO Tim Cook is planning to help Hillary Clinton in her bid to become the first female president in U.S. history by hosting a fundraiser in Silicon Valley next month for the Democratic nominee.

Cook helped House Speaker Paul Ryan score some sweet Silicon Valley funding at a breakfast fundraiser last month. Now the the Apple CEO is teaming up with the Hillary Victory Fund.

Apple’s environmental VP spreads the good word in India

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Apple's environmental VP meets with a school during her time in India.
Photo: Apple/Lisa Jackson

As part of Apple’s top-ranking executive’s trip to India, VP of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives Lisa P. Jackson this week visited “solar mamas” and a rural school where students are taught there lessons using iPads.

What Apple product launches say about Tim Cook’s leadership

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Tim Cook Apple March 21 event
Under Tim Cook's leadership, Apple is innovating in a new way.
Photo: Apple

A cynic would call it greenwashing, but the most surprising thing about Tim Cook’s “Loop you in” event was what it said about how he’s running Apple.

When Steve Jobs was around, Apple’s product events were about the products, and little else. Yeah, Jobs would often start with corporate issues, but he usually boasted about how the company was absolutely crushing it.

By contrast, the first 25 minutes of Monday’s event — almost half of the hour-long presentation — focused on things only tangentially related to Apple products. Cook and his lieutenants discussed government snooping, privacy, recycling, the environment, renewable energy, creating platforms for sustaining customers’ health — and even protecting Chinese yaks.

Jobs used to touch on issues like these, but under Cook, they’ve taken center stage. Cook has turned Apple’s product events into showcases for corporate responsibility.

The biggest takeaways from Apple’s tiniest keynote in years

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A size for every hand.
A size for every hand.
Photo: Apple

Evolution, not revolution, was the tone of today’s low-key Apple event. Smaller is better, says Apple, with two big product “reveals” that show off compact new devices with impressive internals.

While most of the announcements today have already been discussed and dissected, like the 4-inch iPhone SE, new Apple Watch bands and a smaller 9.7-inch iPad Pro, there were a couple of surprises.

Here are the biggest takeaways from Apple’s oddly low-key “Let us loop you in” event.