2012 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report, Apple’s realization of environment issues – Part 1

Some critics might be of the opinion that Apple, Inc. is getting on the right track toward the transparency of their operations, after the release of their 2012 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report.

However, there are more questions that need to be addressed by the company then a mere précised report. Over the years, Apple has successfully managed to evade the criticism on its operations on the basis of corporate confidentiality. However, the three reports in the last three terms is a clear sign that company is getting the hang corporate social responsibility, a notion that has been alien to it.

There are however, still certain sides that need to be addressed. First, the company has to include independent and authentic non-profit organizations into the equation for unbiased audits that would bring the operations in clear black and white. In addition, the company itself needs to audit its vendors repeatedly so that there remains no opaqueness in the reports.

In the latest report, the company listed almost all of its vendors, be there a scandalous one or a well-reputed. The report unveiled one most controversial supplier that has attracted opprobrium from Asian non-profits. Foxconn (a company where at least 17 workers have committed suicide at its plants since 2010) and a 2009 incident in which workers were poisoned by n-hexane, a solvent. It listed other violations in the back appendix.

In addition, the company also addressed the issue of environment-hazardous material disposal. The reduction of dangerous fuels and increase in the consumption of renewable energy sources was also mentioned in the report. According to the audit, the company has swayed the suppliers to use latest technology for proper disposal of their production by-product waste.

This process of a famous international company slowly opening up and making its corporate social responsibility (CSR) improvement efforts transparent echoes the experience of U.S.-based sportswear company Nike, which became infamous in the 1990s for its exploitative manufacturing practices, including the use of sweatshops and child labor.

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Posted by Usman Khalid on Jan 21 2012. Filed under Business, Sci-Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.