Apple has agreed to a jointly monitored audit of pollution controls at a supplier’s factory in China, in what activists see as a breakthrough in their efforts to persuade the world’s most valuable company to address environmental concerns.
A maker of printed circuit boards for the Silicon Valley company is due to be inspected in the next few weeks by auditors, with Apple and the China-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) jointly monitoring their efforts. Last month, Apple backed a report by the Fair Labor Association that recommended improvements in working conditions at three Foxconn factories in China where its products are made.
Environmental matters now appear to be getting the same level of attention.