Apple unveiled a detailed plan to become completely carbon neutral by 2030, with a key focus on slashing emissions from its supply chain and manufacturing processes.

Under its new roadmap, Apple aims to reduce emissions by 75 per cent by 2030 using low-carbon product design processes and recycling rare materials used in its devices; increasing energy efficiency and using renewable energy at production facilities; and employing other process and material innovations including a new aluminium smelting process.

It will address the remaining 25 per cent of emissions through investments in reforestation, environmental preservation and other “nature-based solutions” which aim to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said it hopes its efforts will act as “a ripple in the pond that creates a much larger change”.

Nigel Topper, who works on climate change issues for the UK government, tweeted the move is “huge lever to accelerate” the United Nations carbon-cutting Race to Zero campaign.

Though its global corporate operations are already carbon neutral, Apple noted emissions from manufacturing account for approximately three-quarters of its total footprint, with the majority coming from electricity used to make parts for its products.

It said 71 of its manufacturing partners committed to use 100 per cent renewable energy for Apple production, up from 44 in April 2019, and said it agreed a partnership with the US-China Green Fund to invest $100 million to accelerate energy efficiency projects for its suppliers.

In January, Microsoft also pledged to become carbon neutral by 2030 and committed to remove all of the carbon generated in its history by 2050.