The new lawsuit alleges that Apple Watch’s carbon neutral claim is “false and misleading” (U).
Shop E Store Apple has a major goal of making all its products carbon neutral by 2030. However, the company is currently being sued over allegations that the first product to achieve that goal, the Apple Watch– is not actually as carbon neutral as Apple says. Here’s what you need to know about the new Apple Watch Carbon Neutral lawsuit:
Updated 2/28 11:45 AM ET Include Apple’s statement in response to:
Seeing buyers believe they’ve been misled by Apple’s carbon neutral claims
Jonathan Stempel writes Reuters:
Apple has been sued by consumers who have said it claims that three versions of the Apple Watch are “carbon neutral” and are environmentally friendly.
In a complaint filed Wednesday in California federal court, seven buyers of the green-tagged Apple Watch Series 9, SE and Ultra 2 said they hadn’t bought the watch or would pay less if they knew the truth.
Apple… released the watch in September 2023, saying it will be carbon neutral by combining reduced emissions and purchasing carbon offsets.
However, plaintiffs from California, Florida and Washington, DC submitted two carbon offsetting projects that Apple relied on to achieve corporate emissions targets.
The two specific offset projects are named as “real.”
- The Tulle Hills Project in Kenya
- China’s Guinan Project
The plaintiffs argue that neither of these should actually be entitled to provide carbon offsets to Apple.
“In both cases, carbon reductions would have occurred regardless of Apple’s involvement or the presence of the project,” the complaint said. “As Apple’s carbon neutrality claims are based on the effectiveness and legitimacy of these projects, Apple’s carbon neutrality claims are false and misleading.”
The lawsuit seeks damages from Apple and an injunction that blocks Apple from using the term “carbon neutral” in either its product marketing.
Since launching the first carbon neutral Apple Watch model in 2023, Apple has launched the M4 Mac Mini as its first carbon neutral Mac, and has also expanded its carbon neutral watch options with its 10 Apple Watch Series line.
Updated 2/28 11:45 AM ET: Apple provided the following statement shopestore:
“We are proud of our carbon neutral products, the result of industry-leading innovation in clean energy and low-carbon design. We have significantly reduced Apple Watch emissions by over 75%, and have invested heavily in nature-based projects to remove hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon from the air. That innovation and progress is important to us and the planet. That is why we detail our work remarkably and transparently for our users.”
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