Apple Releases 2012 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report

Apple has released its 2012 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report that details its efforts to improve worker protections and factory conditions.

Highlights
● In 2011, we conducted 229 audits throughout our supply chain - an 80 percent increase over 2010 - including more than 100 first-time audits. We continue to expand our program to reach deeper into our supply base, and this year we added more detailed and specialized audits that focus on safety and the environment.
● Apple-designed training programs have educated more than one million supply chain employees about local laws, their rights as workers, occupational health and safety, and Apple's Supplier Code of Conduct.
● Our audits have always checked for compliance with environmental standards. In 2011, in addition to our standard audits, we launched a specialized auditing program to address environmental concerns about certain suppliers in China. Third-party environmental engineering experts worked with our team to conduct detailed audits at 14 facilities. We uncovered some violations and worked with our suppliers to correct the issues. We will expand our environmental auditing program in the coming year.
● We have a zero-tolerance policy for underage labor, and we believe our system is the toughest in the electronics industry. In 2011, we broadened our age verification program and saw dramatic improvements in hiring practices by our suppliers. Cases of underage labor were down significantly, and our audits found no underage workers at our final assembly suppliers.
● We offer continuing education opportunities at our suppliers' facilities free of charge. More than 60,000 workers have enrolled in classes to study business and entrepreneurship, improve their computer skills, or learn English. And the curriculum continues to expand. We've also partnered with some local universities to offer courses that employees can apply toward an associate degree.

You can download the report from the link below.


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