iPhone 16 Environmental Report Reviewed

It’s that time of year again where Apple share their progress towards their carbon neutral goal for 2030 through the milestones of their latest products. The iPhone 16 lineup made its appearance and it’s safe to say that we were pretty underwhelmed on the hardware side of things. In this article we want to see whether or not the iPhone 16 is more environmentally friendly than its predecessor or has the development of AI put sustainability goals on the back burner. So, the big question is, can the development of AI coexist with sustainability goals or has Apple’s priorities shifted?

Apple's Progress On Sustainability Goals

In this blog, we look at Apple’s sustainability progress from 2023, looking at their achievements but also where they fell short. Has Apple created impactful sustainability changes or is this just another case of ‘going green’?

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Where Does The iPhone 16 Fit In With Apple’s Sustainability Goals

Another year means that Apple are a step further in seeing whether or not they can reach their 2030 carbon neutral goal. We know that Apple have been making strides in reducing their environmental impact. The recently released iPhone 16 Environmental Report provides another in-depth look at Apple’s continued efforts to lower the carbon footprint of its flagship product, revealing a 30% reduction in emissions compared to earlier models. It seems that Apple are putting a lot of their time and effort into reducing the emissions within their manufacturing processes and it doesn’t stop there. 

The iPhone 16 Pro Max now has a greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of 74kg, which is a decrease from the 105kg emissions baseline of previous models. This is largely down to the increase of low-carbon electricity across the supply chain according to Apple. The iPhone 16 lineup is also the first iPhone series to include recycled lithium ion in its batteries, which again is another noteworthy achievement. Not only this, but a big part of this milestone is also down to their suppliers and their participation in renewable projects that has cut Apple’s product emissions by over 20%. This is a key driver in the company achieving such a significant milestone achieving a 55% reduction of greenhouse gases since 2015. It’s evident that the push towards renewable energy is paying off, with 2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity saved last year alone, avoiding 1.7 million metric tons of carbon emissions.

A Focus On Recycled And Renewable Materials

The Apple iPhone 16 Report 2024 reveals that the new iPhone 16 series feature 100% recycled cobalt and more than 95% recycled lithium in their batteries. These materials not only help reduce environmental harm, but also conserve valuable natural resources. Additionally, the iPhone 16 packaging is made entirely of fibre-based materials, aligning with Apple’s goal of eliminating plastic from all packaging by 2025. The paper used comes from 100% recycled or responsibly sourced wood fibres, demonstrating their broader commitment to sustainable sourcing.

What we liked about their report was the fact that as part of their strategy, they want to increase the durability of all their products, helping to extend the life of each device. This is a win-win for everyone involved including the environment 😉. By creating longer-lasting products, Apple aim to reduce waste whilst encouraging customers to trade-in their devices when upgrading.

We take responsibility for our products throughout their life cycles - including the materials they are made of, the people who assemble them, and how they are recycled at end of life.

Is It A Picture Perfect Report?

While Apple have made good progress and great effort, their path to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 is not without criticism. We know that as part of their net-zero plan, they seek to reduce emissions by 75% while offsetting the remaining 25% through carbon credits. However, there is a growing scepticism about the reliability of the carbon credit market, with concerns that many of these credits represent ‘Phantom reductions’ rather than real benefits. Some projects designed to remove carbon, such as tree planting initiatives, may not last long enough to provide meaningful climate relief quick enough to mend the damage created. 

Another greatly talked about feature of the iPhone 16 lineup is the inclusion of artificial intelligence or as introduced by Apple ‘Apple Intelligence’. With improvements made to Siri, iPhone users will soon be able to use ChatGPT for free, which is a somewhat great addition at first glance. Yes, we know that Apple’s data centres currently run on 100% renewable electricity, but a tool like ChatGPT uses a significant amount of energy, an estimate of around ten times more than a Google search to be a little more accurate. So can Apple balance technological advancements with sticking to their 2030 environmental goal? We shall see.

Yasmin

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