Late on Wednesday Apple published their 2014 Environmental Responsibility Report, detailing Apple’s efforts to reduce their impact on the environment. The company also updated their Environmental Responsibility pages on their website, reflecting the new data contained in this year’s Environmental Responsibility Report.

In the report and on their website, they highlight the significant progress they have made to reducing their carbon footprint. Between fiscal year 2011 to fiscal year 2013, Apple’s carbon footprint from energy use actually dropped by 31 percent, despite overall energy consumption increasing by 44 percent. As for this year’s goal of powering Apple retail stores by renewable energy, they have so far converted 145 of their US retail stores and all 21 of their Australian retail stores to using 100 percent renewable energy (either purchasing from third-party renewable energy providers or participating in
utility green tariff programs).

At Apple, we believe innovation is about making things better. This simple idea drives us to take action in the face of the very real problem of climate change. We feel the responsibility to consider everything we do in order to reduce our impact on the environment. This means using greener materials and constantly inventing new ways to conserve precious resources. -Lisa Jackson, Vice President for Environmental Initiatives for Apple.

Apple also takes time to note some of the big challenges they still face in reducing their environmental impact. The first is that of water consumption which rose significantly in 2013, driven significantly by their new campus and other expansions. The other big issue is carbon emissions by their manufacturing partners which represented ~70% of Apple’s carbon emissions in 2013.

“Better” means we’re never done. We push ourselves every day to develop innovations that reduce our carbon footprint, use cleaner and safer materials, and show that what’s good for the planet can also be good for business. At Apple, we continue to put nature at the center of our business and design principles. We promise to keep you updated on our journey. -Lisa Jackson, Vice President for Environmental Initiatives for Apple.

Be sure to have a quick read through Apple’s updated pages on Environmental Responsibility, which includes a letter from Apple’s Vice President for Environmental Initiatives, Lisa Jackson. If you’re looking for a more thorough examination, Apple’s full 2014 Environmental Responsibility Report is also available to read.