Apple and Microsoft have recently announced aggressive action against climate change. 

First, let’s explain what some of the following terms mean.

“Carbon neutral” means that the sum of all the greenhouse gases that you put into and take out of the atmosphere balance out to zero.

“Carbon negative” means that you actively remove more greenhouse gas than you emit into the atmosphere.

Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, can be harmful to the environment because they form a heat-trapping blanket around the planet.

Some greenhouse gas is good (who would want to sleep without a blanket?) but too much means global temperatures go up, disrupting weather patterns around the world. 

Now, last week Apple revealed its plan to become carbon neutral across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain, and product life cycle by 2030.

The company is already carbon neutral for its global corporate operations. This new commitment means that by 2030, every Apple device sold will have net-zero climate impact.

On top of that, Apple is establishing a program that will focus on investing in minority-owned businesses that drive climate positive outcomes within its supply chain.

For example, they would seek out and invest in a BIPOC owned shipping company that utilizes electric vehicles for shipping. 

They will also identify and invest in companies that are disproportionately affected by environmental hazards; floods, droughts, forest fires, and other hazards related to climate change. 

Not to be outdone, Microsoft said: “hold my beer” and released their own progressive sustainability initiative. 

Their plan highlights three goals:

1. To be carbon negative by 2030
2. Remove all of its historical carbon emissions by 2050
3. Establish a $1 billion climate innovation fund

How the heck do you remove historical carbon you might ask? 

Well, when you have some of the sharpest minds in the world working for you, nothing is impossible. 

The specifics of their plan can be found here, but there are a variety of Negative Emission Technologies (NETs) that Microsoft plans to use to remove the carbon dioxide that they have emitted through the years.

Although the political world continues to battle over facts and data, these two powerhouse companies are both acknowledging one thing: the scientific consensus on climate change is clear and immediate action is needed. 

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