• by Kaila Colbin , Featured Contributor, July 31, 2015

It’s a climate commitment milestone. Earlier this week, 13 large corporations announced that they would collectively be committing $140 billion toward climate change mitigation. The commitments take various forms, from reducing emissions to shifting to renewable energy to increasing investment in renewable technology or other environmental initiatives. And the companies range broadly: Coca-Cola. Berkshire Hathaway. Wal-Mart. UPS. Bank of America.

And Apple.

Some years ago, when Tim Cook took the helm at Apple, I wrote an open letter to him, urging him to craft his legacy not just around the products they create but also around their commitment to suppliers, customers, and society. 

Since then, the tech giant has made giant strides. By 2012, 75% of all their energy use came from renewable sources. By 2013, that number had risen to 94%, with 100% of their data centers running on renewable energy. In March last year, Cook told investors to ditch Apple shares if they didn’t agree with his plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions. 

We could go over this progress with a skeptic’s eye, if you like; certainly there is no shortage of people saying Apple’s actions barely scratch the surface. But that’s not the purpose of this column. 

The purpose of this column is to say great job, keep it up, do more — and think different.

That original open letter was about thinking beyond products. If Tim Cook really cares about the environment, though, now is the time for Apple to think about the products themselves.

Take the iPad. It’s a beautifully designed, sexy, better-than-the-alternative product. But no matter how recyclable you make it, its purpose is not to be good for the environment. The purpose of the iPad is to deliver mobile computing. 

But one of the things we’ve seen with the Tesla Model S and Powerwall is that there is near-infinite demand for beautifully designed, sexy, better-than-the-alternative products that also happen to be good for the environment.

So here is my new challenge to Tim Cook: pour all that engineering expertise and design skill into a new product. Make it just as beautiful, as simple to use, as seductive as anything else you produce. And make its purpose to shift the world towards a more sustainable way of living.

Maybe it’ll be a direct competitor to the Powerwall or Nest. Maybe it’ll be something to do with food or healthcare. I don’t know exactly what the product should be. 

What I do know is that altruism and regulation only take you so far. But if the alternative is not just better for the planet but also more enjoyable to use, if it tickles not just the part of us that wants to do the right thing but also the part of us that wants to have the shiniest, most gorgeous new toy, we will gobble it up. And companies like Apple are in a position to shift the conversation around climate from one of obligation to one of desire.

If you really care about the planet, make the next major new Apple product one that make the world a better place every time it’s used. I’ll stand in line for it.