Apple's Apps for Earth Initiative Raised Awareness and Funds for WWF

Apps are big business and a partnership between Apple and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) funneled some of these revenues to ecological causes. Given the number of apps and the volume of demand using apps to generate revenues for the environment is a boon. As of June 2016 there are approximately 2.2 million apps available and 2 million in the Apple App Store. In 2015, global mobile app revenues amounted to $41.1 billion. In 2020, consumers are projected to spend over $101 billion on mobile apps via app stores.

This spring an initiative called Apps for Earth, saw 100 percent of revenues from 27 apps at the Apple Store go to WWF over a ten day period that ended on April 24th. This campaign not only raised awareness it generated more than $8 million to support hte WWF’s conservation work.

As Lisa Jackson, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency and now an Apple executive, explained in a Washington Post interview:

“This is really our first big step into engaging customers in our mission.”

This is not the first time these two organizations have collaborated. In 2015 Apple partnered with WWF to launch a multi-year partnership to protect a million acres of responsibly managed forest across China.

Apple has also engaged in a number of eco-initiatives in house. Apple has supported the US Clean Power Plan and the company responded to the White
House’s request to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and increase their supply of renewable energy. Apple’s green efforts are more than a marketing ploy, these efforts have contributed to their bottom line.