Apple announced last week it will report greenhouse gas emissions from each stage of every new product's lifecyle.

According to the company, about 95 percent of its carbon footprint comes from the production, transport, use and recycling of its products. And in what it calls an industry first, the company also will disclose details on each product's energy efficiency, material composition and packaging.  

"We're approaching this issue at the product level because we think it's the best way to help our customers make informed decisions about their own carbon footprint and how to reduce it," Steve Jobs wrote in Apple's 2008 Environmental Update.

Its iPhone, for example, produces a total of 55 kg of CO2 equivalent during the course of its lifetime. The majority of emissions -- 49 percent -- comes from customer use, followed by production, at 45 percent. Apple's iPod nano produces about 15 kg of CO2 equivalent, with 54 percent coming from production.