Why Apple may be the one Big Tech company to hit its climate goals in the AI era

A decade ago, tech companies were seen as climate leaders, moving faster than the rest of corporate America in the transition to clean energy. Now, as soaring data center demand pushes them toward greater use of fossil fuels, these same companies are increasingly cast as climate villains.

One analysis of 60 of the largest planned data centers in the U.S. found that they could generate more than 100 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, roughly equivalent to the emissions from 24 million gas-powered cars. And as some tech companies turn to natural gas to power their data centers, they’re beginning to backtrack on their climate commitments.

Apple has taken a different approach. The company has rolled out AI more gradually than many of its peers and largely avoided the massive data center buildout driving the industry’s rise in emissions. Some of its AI processing happens on-device, using technology that Apple designed to boost efficiency, rather than in data centers.

When Apple uses the cloud, all of that compute runs on renewable energy, both at Apple’s own data centers—which have sourced wind and solar power since 2014—and at the third-party data centers it also uses. Apple’s carbon footprint is still dominated by its products and supply chain, not data centers, and those emissions are falling.

The company has a goal to cut emissions 75% by 2030, compared to a baseline in 2015, and will cover the remaining gap with carbon credits. So far, it reports that emissions have fallen 60%. As Apple’s AI use grows, some environmental advocates have questioned what path the company will take. But when Fast Company asked Apple if growing AI use threatens its climate goals, the company said no.

“We are on track towards our ambitious goal to be carbon neutral,” says Sarah Chandler, VP of environment and supply chain innovation at Apple. “That’s for our entire carbon footprint and by 2030. So, no changes there.”

At the same time that Apple cut emissions 60%, its revenue grew more than 75%. “We’re seeing revenue grow and carbon come down,” Chandler confirms. “And I think that’s really proof that you absolutely can lower your impact on the planet while growing your business.”