Apple increases U.S. commitment to $600 billion, announces ambitious program – Apple

Report on Apple’s U.S. Investment and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

This report details Apple’s announcement of an accelerated U.S. investment, now totaling $600 billion over four years. A central component of this commitment is the new American Manufacturing Program (AMP), designed to enhance domestic supply chains and advanced manufacturing capabilities. These initiatives demonstrate a significant alignment with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy).

Economic Impact and Contribution to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Apple’s investment strategy directly supports the promotion of sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth and productive employment as outlined in SDG 8.

Key Contributions to Economic Growth and Employment

• Capital Investment: A total commitment of $600 billion to the U.S. economy over the next four years.
• Job Creation: The investment supports over 450,000 jobs through partnerships with thousands of U.S. suppliers.
• Direct Employment: A plan to directly hire 20,000 new employees in the U.S., with a majority of roles focused on high-value sectors such as R&D, silicon engineering, software development, and AI, contributing to higher levels of economic productivity.

Fostering Innovation and Resilient Infrastructure (SDG 9)

The investment plan is heavily focused on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation, which are the core tenets of SDG 9. This is primarily achieved through the American Manufacturing Program and the establishment of a domestic silicon supply chain.

The American Manufacturing Program (AMP)

The AMP incentivizes the domestic manufacturing of critical components. Initial partners include:

• Corning
• Coherent
• GlobalWafers America (GWA)
• Applied Materials
• Texas Instruments (TI)
• Samsung
• GlobalFoundries
• Amkor
• Broadcom
• MP Materials

Establishment of a U.S. End-to-End Silicon Supply Chain

Apple is orchestrating the creation of a comprehensive silicon supply chain within the United States, a critical step for technological resilience and innovation. The process involves partners at every key stage:

1. Wafers: GlobalWafers America will produce advanced 300mm silicon wafers in Sherman, Texas, using U.S.-sourced materials.
2. Manufacturing Equipment: A partnership with Applied Materials in Austin, Texas, will boost the production of cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
3. Fabrication (Fabs): Apple is expanding partnerships with Texas Instruments (Utah and Texas), Samsung (Texas), and GlobalFoundries (New York) to manufacture chips using advanced process technologies.
4. Packaging: Apple will be the first and largest customer for Amkor’s new advanced chip packaging and testing facility in Arizona, completing the domestic supply chain.

Infrastructure and Facility Expansion

• Houston, TX: A new 250,000-square-foot factory for advanced Apple servers, crucial for AI and Private Cloud Compute infrastructure.
• Maiden, NC: Significant expansion of the data center to support Apple services and the growth of Apple Intelligence.
• Austin, TX: Ongoing construction of Apple’s second campus, including new R&D lab space.
• Other States: Expansion of data center capacity is also underway in Iowa, Nevada, and Oregon.

Commitment to Sustainable Production and Clean Energy (SDG 12 & SDG 7)

Apple’s initiatives include specific measures that advance SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by creating circular economies and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) through the use of renewable resources.

Advancing Responsible Production (SDG 12)

• Rare Earth Materials: A commitment to purchase American-made rare earth magnets from MP Materials, which is expanding its Texas facility.
• Recycling and Circular Economy: The establishment of a cutting-edge rare earth recycling line with MP Materials in Mountain Pass, California, directly supports the goal of sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
• Localized Supply Chains: Onshoring the manufacturing of key components contributes to more sustainable production patterns by potentially reducing the carbon footprint associated with global logistics.

Commitment to Clean Energy (SDG 7)

• All of Apple’s U.S. facilities, including the expanding data centers in North Carolina, Iowa, Nevada, and Oregon, are powered by 100% renewable energy. This ensures that the growth in infrastructure and digital services does not increase carbon emissions, directly supporting the transition to clean energy systems.

Advancing Education and Community Development (SDG 4 & SDG 11)

The investment extends beyond industrial capacity to include educational programs and broad community development, aligning with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Promoting Technical Education (SDG 4)

• The new Apple Manufacturing Academy in Detroit is set to open, offering courses and consultations to small and medium-sized businesses.
• The academy’s focus on advanced manufacturing and AI implementation will promote technical and vocational skills for employment and entrepreneurship.

Supporting Sustainable Communities (SDG 11)

• By investing in manufacturing and R&D facilities across numerous states—including Arizona, California, Iowa, Kentucky, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and Utah—Apple fosters local economic development and contributes to making communities more inclusive and resilient.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  The article mentions Apple’s commitment to renewable energy for its facilities, specifically highlighting that its expanded data center in Maiden, North Carolina, is “powered by 100 percent renewable energy.”

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  This is a central theme of the article, which details Apple’s $600 billion investment in the U.S. economy, the creation of 20,000 direct jobs, and the support of over 450,000 jobs through its supply chain partners.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The article focuses heavily on industrial expansion through the American Manufacturing Program, building resilient infrastructure like data centers and factories, and fostering innovation in silicon engineering, AI, and advanced manufacturing processes.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The article touches on sustainable production patterns by announcing the establishment of a “cutting-edge rare earth recycling line” with MP Materials, aiming to reduce waste and manage natural resources more efficiently.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Target 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

     This target is addressed by Apple’s action to power its Maiden, North Carolina, data center with “100 percent renewable energy sourced from Apple-created projects in the region.”

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation.

     The article highlights this through its focus on advanced manufacturing, R&D in silicon engineering, AI, and machine learning, and the creation of an “end-to-end American silicon supply chain” with innovative new technologies.

   • Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.

     Apple’s $100 billion “American Manufacturing Program” and the establishment of the “Apple Manufacturing Academy” to help small and medium-sized businesses are direct efforts supporting this target.

3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.2: Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product.

     The entire press release, centered on accelerating U.S. investment to $600 billion and launching the American Manufacturing Program to bring more of the supply chain to the U.S., directly supports this target.

   • Target 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies.

     This is addressed through the plan to establish a “rare earth recycling line in Mountain Pass, California” and the use of 100% renewable energy for data centers.

   • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors… encouraging innovation.

     The article details investments in R&D labs, the creation of the “Apple-Corning Innovation Center in Kentucky,” and partnerships to develop cutting-edge wireless technologies and innovative chip-making processes.

4. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

     The commitment to establish a “cutting-edge rare earth recycling line” with MP Materials is a direct action aimed at reducing waste and reusing critical materials.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Percentage of renewable energy used in facilities, as stated by the indicator that the Maiden data center is “powered by 100 percent renewable energy.”

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Total financial commitment: “$600 billion over the next four years.”
   • Number of direct jobs created: “directly hire 20,000 people in the U.S.”
   • Number of indirect jobs supported: “supporting more than 450,000 supplier and partner jobs.”
   • Investment in specific programs: “$100 billion commitment” for the “American Manufacturing Program.”

3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Investment in domestic manufacturing and supply chains, exemplified by the American Manufacturing Program.
   • Number of chips produced domestically: “on track to produce more than 19 billion chips for Apple products in 2025.”
   • Establishment of new innovation centers, such as the “new Apple-Corning Innovation Center in Kentucky.”
   • Construction and expansion of infrastructure, including data centers in North Carolina, Iowa, Nevada, and Oregon, and a new campus in Austin.

4. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Establishment of recycling facilities, specifically the “cutting-edge rare earth recycling line in Mountain Pass, California.”

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: apple.com