Apple announces green initiatives in China

Apple has announced plans to reduce the carbon footprint of its manufacturing partners in China. The green initiatives will avoid over 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution in the country between now and 2020, equivalent to taking nearly four million passenger vehicles off the road for one year.

Plans include the construction of solar energy projects and sharing best practices in procuring clean energy and building high-quality renewable energy projects. Apple will also provide hands-on assistance to some suppliers in areas like energy efficiency audits, regulatory guidance and building strong partnerships to bring new clean energy projects to China. In addition, Foxconn will construct 400 megawatts of solar, starting in the Henan Province, by 2018. Foxconn has committed to generate as much clean energy as its Zhengzhou factory consumes in final production of iPhone.

Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, said: "Climate change is one of the great challenges of our time, and the time for action is now. The transition to a new green economy requires innovation, ambition and purpose. We believe passionately in leaving the world better than we found it and hope that many other suppliers, partners and other  companies join us in this important effort."

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