Apple announced a new environmental project: it will help protect and restore a redwood forest in California. This effort is part of its larger climate plan. Apple’s work spans carbon reduction, sustainable supply chains, and nature-based carbon removal.
Protecting the Gualala River Redwood Forest
Apple joined with The Conservation Fund to invest in the Gualala River Forest, a working coastal redwood forest in Mendocino County, California. The project protects 14,000 acres of coastal redwoods. The tech titan will help restore and manage the forest in ways that allow both forest growth and sustainable economic use.
As trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide, so forests act like natural “carbon sinks.” As such, Apple will receive carbon credits as the forest strengthens its capacity to store carbon. Each credit represents one ton of carbon removed from the atmosphere.
The Conservation Fund will manage the forest, measuring tree growth over time, marking certain trees to track diameter and height. This grants Apple a way to count how much additional carbon the forest stores.
The Conservation Fund has safeguarded more than 120,000 acres of forest since 2004. It monitors tree growth to measure stored carbon and generate carbon credits for Apple.
With 13 million U.S. forest acres at risk of disappearing by 2050, projects like this are vital. Apple has also worked with the group to protect 36,000 acres in Maine and North Carolina and invested in a temperate rainforest in Washington.
Apple’s Restore Fund and Its Role in Carbon Removal
This forest work is part of Apple’s Restore Fund, which began in 2021. The fund supports conservation and regenerative agriculture projects in many countries—and now six continents. Not only the Gualala Forest, but also other forest, mangrove, and grassland projects around the world benefit from Apple’s investment.
Apple plans to be carbon neutral by 2030. This goal includes the whole business footprint. It covers the supply chain, product manufacturing, usage, and end-of-life. Apple aims to cut its emissions by 75% from its 2015 levels.
For any remaining emissions, it will use nature-based carbon removal solutions. Apple says it has already cut more than 60% of its emissions versus 2015.
Counting Carbon: Apple’s Progress in Numbers
The iPhone maker has made measurable gains in cutting emissions and increasing clean energy. Here are the latest achievements so far:
- Apple has achieved a 60% reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions since 2015.
- In 2024, Apple’s suppliers put 17.8 gigawatts (GW) of renewable electricity into their operations. That avoided about 21.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases.
- They also avoided nearly 2 million metric tons of emissions from energy efficiency improvements.
- Apple reduced emissions in product manufacturing by nearly half: from about 16.1 million tons in 2020 to 8.2 million tons in 2024.
- The company uses over 99% recycled rare earth elements in magnets, and 100% recycled cobalt in its Apple-designed batteries.
These stats show that Apple is not just promising, but also delivering in some key areas.
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Why Nature-Based Solutions Matter in Apple’s Strategy
Forests, mangroves, and healthy ecosystems do more than store carbon. They support biodiversity, clean water, and local economies. Apple emphasizes that its new redwood project will also help communities in Northern California whose economies depend on forests.
Nature-based solutions are important because some emissions are tough to fully eliminate. This is especially true for emissions from materials extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and product use.
By restoring forests, Apple can “offset” some residual emissions. But offsetting isn’t a substitute for cutting emissions—it works best combined with deep reductions.
Nature-Based Solutions Taking Root
The push for carbon neutrality is shaping the entire tech industry. Global supply chains are under increasing pressure to switch to renewable energy, but progress is uneven. In areas with limited clean power, many suppliers depend on fossil fuels. This reliance slows down efforts to reduce emissions in various industries.
Nature-based carbon removal is now a key part of Apple’s climate plan. The company aims to cut emissions by 75% from 2015 levels and balance the rest through projects that restore and protect ecosystems. Its Restore Fund supports forest conservation and regenerative farming around the world.
The newest project will help protect California’s redwood forests. This approach reflects a broader industry trend, as most companies still rely on nature-based removals to meet their climate goals.
Demand for carbon removal has been rising fast. In 2024, about 180 million carbon credits were retired, roughly the same as the year before, but with stronger growth in removal-focused projects.
Nature-based solutions like reforestation and forest protection still made up most of these retirements. Between 2022 and 2024, nature-based methods accounted for 98% of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits issued.
At the same time, newer methods such as biochar saw retirements double, showing that buyers are starting to support more durable forms of carbon storage.
Still, the scale is far too small compared to climate needs. In 2023, the world could remove only 41 million tonnes of CO₂ per year. Net-zero roadmaps show that this must grow 25 to 100 times larger by the early 2030s. That means companies like Apple must invest in projects that store carbon for the long term.
Forest growth, healthy soils, and mangroves are strong options, but they face risks from wildfire, drought, and disease. Ensuring that carbon stays stored is just as important as planting new trees.
From Silicon Valley to Forest Valleys: The Bigger Picture
Apple is making a case that technology companies can leverage nature as part of climate action. The redwood forest investment boosts its global portfolio. It includes projects like mangroves, agriculture, and other forest restorations. These projects help sequester carbon and bring co-benefits (biodiversity, local jobs, ecosystem services).
Apple is making strides in material and renewable energy. Its efforts include recycling, using clean energy from suppliers, and cutting emissions in manufacturing. Many parts of its value chain are already advancing, while the forest project helps cover emissions that are otherwise hard to eliminate.
As 2030 approaches, Apple must keep pushing on supplier transitions, transparency, and reducing emissions in all material, energy, and product use areas. If it can do that, the company stands a strong chance of meeting its carbon-neutral goal. Its journey shows that large companies can scale up both innovation and nature in their work toward a low-carbon future.
