Apple is no longer allowed to advertise the Apple Watch as carbon neutral, a German court ruled following a protest from environmentalists about Apple’s promoted claims.
The Frankfurt court found the company misled consumers for describing the Apple Watch as a CO2-neutral product. Apple first unveiled its first carbon neutral products starting with the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in September 2023.
The German ruling means that language relating to these devices being carbon neutral will have to be altered or removed in German retail locations and online store.
You can see examples of this advertising by browsing the Apple Online Store in the US. The store shows that Apple Watch models when paired with select bands are considered carbon neutral. That includes Apple Watch Series 10 paired with the Sport Loop, Milanese Loop, and Braided Solo Loop.
You can read the full environmental report for Apple Watch Series 10 models here. Apple calculates the carbon footprint of an Apple Watch at around ~8kg CO2, an estimated reduction of 80% compared to 2015. It then offsets carbon credits for each product sold to get the net carbon footprint to zero.
Apple achieves lower emissions with a combination of environmentally green strategies, including using low-carbon electricity, using recycled and renewable materials, and alternative methods of transport like preferring ocean freight over air travel. The company says “only after we’ve substantially reduced emissions we will apply carbon credits from high-quality projects to achieve carbon neutrality”.
It is not immediately clear why the German court contested Apple’s descriptions of carbon neutrality. However, it likely relates to the use of carbon credit offsets in the calculations to achieve the net zero figure.
Right now, Apple designates Apple Watch and Mac mini as carbon neutral products. It has committed to transition the entire product line to zero net emissions by 2030.
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