Lisa P. Jackson: The Fight Against Climate Change Is a Fight for People

When I was 8 years old, I wrote a letter asking President Nixon to do what he could to protect our planet. I didn’t know I’d one day go on to lead the agency he founded, the Environmental Protection Agency, or build on that work at Apple. But I saw the impact pollution was having on my community, contaminating our air and water. I knew then, as I know now, that when people’s health is at risk, we should do something about it.

At the heart of our concern for the planet should be a concern for people. If we want to stave off the worst impacts of climate change, we’ll do it by bringing the communities most affected to the table and working together. Equity should be the bedrock of environmental progress.

Apple is already carbon neutral for our direct emissions, and by 2030, our carbon footprint will net to zero — from our supply chain down to the energy used to charge an iPhone. To date, more than 100 Apple suppliers have committed to our 2030 goal. And we’ve kept equity at the center of Apple’s environmental progress — for example, by working with indigenous communities in Colombia to preserve mangrove forests that store carbon, and launching an Impact Accelerator to support minority-owned businesses on the cutting edge of clean energy.

Climate change and global inequity are far bigger problems than any one company can solve. But I’m inspired by how many are seeing that a healthy planet demands an equitable future. It’s the future I wanted as an 8-year-old writing to the President. It’s a future we can build together.