Cook’s announcement comes following devastating fires that have been raging in Brazil for the past several weeks destroying the vulnerable rainforest.
There are often fires in the area in July and August, but the 2019 fires have been significantly more severe. The number of fires is also far higher, up 85 percent compared to last year. As of Sunday night, there were more than 80,000 fires burning in Brazil.
Brazil declared a state of emergency earlier this month over the growing number of fires, which are impacting the Brazilian states of Amazonas, Para, Mato Grosso and Rondônia.
It’s devastating to see the fires and destruction ravaging the Amazon rainforest, one of the world’s most important ecosystems. Apple will be donating to help preserve its biodiversity and restore the Amazon’s indispensable forest across Latin America.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 26, 2019
Cook did not say how much money Apple plans to donate, but in similar situations in the past, Apple has offered $1 million or more to organizations like the Red Cross for fire relief purposes.