A new analysis has flagged a significant gap between Apple’s ambitious global climate commitments and the on-the-ground performance of its key manufacturing partners in India.
The report, “Greening India’s Apple,” released by the think tank Climate Risk Horizons, found that the majority of the tech giant’s Indian supply chain is lagging on the use of clean electricity. This poses a major risk to Apple’s target of achieving a 75% reduction in total emissions by 2030.
The findings are particularly critical as India’s role in the global supply chain expands rapidly. In Fiscal Year 2024, India accounted for approximately 20% of global iPhone assembly, a share that is expected to continue growing as Apple diversifies its manufacturing operations away from China.
The scope 3 emissions challenge:
Apple has mandated that all suppliers and final assembly units must shift to 100% clean electricity by 2030. This commitment is vital because the vast majority of Apple’s carbon footprint falls under scope 3 emissions—those generated throughout its value chain, particularly by product manufacturing.
However, the Climate Risk Horizons study found “limited progress” among the 13 Apple suppliers operating in the country. The data reveals that only two of these suppliers have procured renewable energy (RE) through “high-impact” pathways that genuinely contribute to displacing coal-fired power from India’s electricity grid.
These high-impact pathways include power purchase agreements (PPAs) for new projects or self-built solar installations. The two leaders identified were
FIH Mobile Ltd. (a Foxconn subsidiary): Reported 35% RE use in 2024.
Flex Ltd.: Reported 27.5% RE use in both 2022 and 2023.
High-impact vs. low-impact energy:
The remaining 11 suppliers either reported no renewable energy consumption in India, did not disclose any data, or, critically, relied on low-impact, low-transparency instruments such as unbundled energy attribute certificates (RECs).
This distinction is central to the report’s critique. While RECs can allow a company to claim carbon neutrality, unbundled certificates often do little to spur the development of new renewable capacity in the region where the energy is consumed. They function more as a financial instrument than a genuine decarbonization mechanism.
For instance, the report noted that Tata Electronics claims carbon neutrality in India solely through the purchase of low-impact International Renewable Energy Credits (i-RECs).
Simran Kalra, the lead author of the study, emphasized the severity of the compliance gap, stating, “Only two out of 13 Apple suppliers with manufacturing units in India have reported the use of RE in their sustainability reports. This is a far cry from Apple’s goal of 100% RE use in its supply chain by 2030.”
Kalra also highlighted operational issues, noting that “Suppliers are also lagging in energy data monitoring and verification. Addressing these gaps is essential to make Apple’s Scope 3 emissions reporting accurate and credible.”
The verification deficit:
A concerning finding is that over half of Apple’s global suppliers’ claimed RE procurement in 2023 and 2024 relied on these low-impact RECs. This suggests a transparency issue that extends beyond India but poses a particular challenge where manufacturing is rapidly scaling up.
The report suggests that the lack of progress is not due to a lack of opportunity. Ten of the 13 suppliers are situated in states with high open-access capacity and strong potential for green energy growth, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. However, they are not utilizing these options.
Ashish Fernandes, another expert at Climate Risk Horizons, commented that while “Apple’s choice of India as a manufacturing hub is an excellent move… the lackluster performance of its suppliers on the RE front is worrying.” He urged Apple to take a more proactive role, recommending that the company push its suppliers toward long-term PPAs and on-site generation, and also consider direct investment in Indian renewable energy infrastructure, a strategy it has employed successfully in other countries.
The analysis concludes that without a rapid and verifiable shift to high-impact renewable energy sources by its Indian suppliers, Apple will struggle to meet its ambitious 2030 climate goals, particularly concerning the decarbonization of its enormous Scope 3 footprint.
