Apple ranked last out of 29 global technology companies in terms of responsiveness and transparency to health and environmental concerns in China, according to a Beijing-based nonprofit group — as reported by “Bloomberg Businessweek” (http://macte.ch/sxl1j).
BT Group Plc and Hewlett-Packard Co. were among the highest ranked companies, Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Environmental and Public Affairs said in a phone interview today. Apple refused to confirm suspected polluters were among its suppliers and avoided taking responsibility for environmental problems related to its products, he told “Bloomberg.”
“We originally thought that Apple, as a corporate citizen, would take a leadership role, but now we feel they ended up as the most obstructive,” Jun said.
“Apple has had an extensive supplier auditing program since 2006 and we have lots of information available through our web site,” said Jill Tan, a Hong Kong-based spokeswoman for Apple.
