Apple Warns Proposed Clean Energy Reporting Rules Could Slow Renewable Energy Investment

Apple has joined a coalition of major corporations pushing back against a proposed climate reporting change they say could unintentionally slow investment in renewable energy.



A group of 66 organizations signed a public statement addressing proposed updates to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP), the primary framework companies use to measure and report carbon emissions. The revisions focus on Scope 2 guidance and would require companies to match their electricity use with clean energy on an hourly basis, using sources located within deliverable grid regions. The coalition is asking regulators to make these changes optional rather than mandatory, using a "may" instead of "shall" approach.


Those signatories represent more than $4.7 trillion in annual revenue and tens of millions of employees worldwide. They say strict geographic and time-based requirements could discourage voluntary clean energy procurement, increase electricity costs, and slow investment in new carbon-free power projects. The coalition also points to research and industry feedback suggesting a large share of corporate clean energy buyers could leave the market if the rules are enforced as proposed.

Since its publication in 2015, the current Scope 2 guidance has helped enable more than 250 gigawatts of clean energy projects worldwide by allowing companies to match electricity use with clean energy on an annual basis. Apple, alongside companies including Amazon and General Motors, is among those calling for that flexibility to remain in place as the framework evolves.

Apple clarified its position in a statement to 9to5Mac, saying that most power grids today lack sufficient clean energy capacity to support hourly matching at scale. The company emphasized that decarbonization efforts should focus on improving the overall grid rather than isolating individual corporate energy loads. It also warned that strict requirements could push companies toward less impactful options, such as spot-market energy credits, instead of long-term infrastructure investments.

Apple says it already matches 100 percent of its global electricity use with renewable energy, with more than 85 percent tied to projects it helped bring online. While it views 24/7 clean energy matching as a long-term goal, the company is currently working to shift electricity demand to times when cleaner energy is available, including through features like Clean Energy Charging on iPhone and Mac.