Apple sustainability chief Lisa Jackson will retire in late January 2026, closing a 13-year tenure that reshaped the company’s environmental strategy and influenced supply chain practices across the global technology sector. Jackson, one of the most prominent environmental leaders in corporate America and a former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, helped Apple cut its emissions by more than 60 percent and steer the company through a period of rapid policy change and rising expectations for corporate climate leadership.
A Leadership Transition That Reorders Apple’s Sustainability Governance
Rather than appointing a direct successor, Apple will split Jackson’s portfolio across two senior executives in a structural shift that reflects the growing complexity of environmental governance inside multinational firms. Policy responsibilities will move to Jennifer Newstead, who joins Apple as General Counsel in March after serving in a similar role at Meta. Environmental and social initiatives will transition to Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan, embedding sustainability deeper into the company’s operational and manufacturing systems.
Both executives will report to CEO Tim Cook, as Jackson did. Cook praised her role in transforming Apple’s environmental trajectory, saying: “She has been instrumental in helping us reduce our global greenhouse emissions by more than 60% compared to 2015 levels. She has also been a critical strategic partner in engaging governments around the world, advocating for the best interests of our users on a myriad of topics, as well as advancing our values, from education and accessibility to privacy and security.”
A Legacy That Influenced Global Supply Chains
Jackson joined Apple in 2013 after leading the EPA for President Barack Obama, where she focused on reducing greenhouse gases, strengthening air and water protections and improving environmental outreach to vulnerable communities. At Apple, she oversaw a decade of rapid decarbonization, driving investments in renewable energy across the supply chain and spearheading the transition to recycled or renewable versions of 15 priority materials, including aluminum, rare earths and lithium.
Her advocacy helped shape the company’s external engagement on global regulatory issues, from climate and circularity to privacy and education. She also led Apple’s $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, launched in 2020 to support diverse entrepreneurs and tackle pollution in low-income communities.
Reflecting on her tenure, Jackson said: “I have been lucky to work with leaders who understand that reducing our environmental impact is not just good for the environment, but good for business, and that we can do well by doing good. I have every confidence that Apple will continue to have a profoundly positive impact on the planet and its people.”
New Governance for a More Complex Policy Era
Newstead will enter Apple at a moment when global regulatory scrutiny is intensifying for large technology firms. Her background — spanning the U.S. State Department, the White House Office of Management and Budget, and the Department of Justice — signals a strategic shift as Apple prepares for more intricate legal, trade and policy landscapes. Her portfolio will encompass both Legal and Government Affairs, consolidated under the title Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Government Affairs.
“I have long admired Apple’s deep focus on innovation and strong commitment to its values, its customers and to making the world a better place,” Newstead said. “I am honoured to join the company and to lead an extraordinary team who are dedicated each and every day to doing what’s in the best interest of Apple’s users.”
Kate Adams, who has served as General Counsel since 2017, will become Senior Vice President in January before retiring in late 2026. “It has been one of the great privileges of my life to be a part of Apple… Jennifer is an exceptional talent and I am confident that I am leaving the team in the very best hands,” Adams said.
Embedding Sustainability Into Apple’s Operational Core
Khan, a mechanical engineer who joined Apple in 1995, has played a central role in the company’s efforts to reduce manufacturing emissions and redesign products around recycled and low-carbon materials. Apple credits his advanced manufacturing programs with avoiding 6.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024 alone.
Transitioning environmental and social initiatives directly under the COO position further integrates sustainability into decisions about production, procurement and supply chain resilience — a shift that aligns with broader trends in corporate governance, where operational leaders increasingly oversee decarbonization agendas.
A Transition With Broader Implications
Jackson’s retirement comes as companies face stricter global disclosure rules, rising expectations for supply chain transparency and urgent demands to align corporate action with 1.5°C pathways. Apple’s restructuring — dividing environmental strategy between legal and operational leadership — may influence how other large firms organize sustainability functions as regulatory, geopolitical and market pressures converge.
It also unfolds at a moment when women now hold 63 percent of executive sustainability roles, underscoring the leadership profile Jackson helped strengthen within one of the world’s most influential companies.
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