14 DAY TRIAL // Five domestic environmental groups from China sat down with Apple representatives at the Mac maker’s Beijing offices this week to discuss a recent outcry in the country about pollution by Apple’s manufacturing partners.
During the three and a half hour meeting, representatives for the environmental groups said they were happy that Apple took the time to address these matters, but that they were displeased with the company’s attitude when the issue of naming these polluting suppliers was raised.
Apple does not publicly disclose its suppliers, but the company ceded to confirm that 15 of the 27 suppliers accused of pollution were, indeed, their partners.
Apple also reportedly refused to tell the groups which of the 15 names were correct.
According to Li Li, a representative for one of the environmental groups, “Apple said they had already spoken to 11 supply firms and asked them to reform, and they’re in the process of initiating communications with the other four.”
Apple also promised to try and maintain better communication with domestic NGOs in the future, and that it will place more emphasis on environmental protection with future partners.
The Mac maker’s reps specifically said that, beginning now, environmental issues will be included in the evaluation process of choosing a supplier.
Reports surfaced earlier this year about a number of alleged Apple suppliers polluting the earth, water and air of several territories in China.
The Cupertino computer maker’s initial reaction was to calm spirits down, with a promise that it will look into these matters and see which of the factories actually supplied parts or labor for its own products.
More recently, Apple has been ranked fourth on the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics, a metrics tool that tracks the progress of major tech companies in their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.