A German court has ruled that Apple can no longer market the Apple Watch as carbon neutral. The Frankfurt regional court found the company misled consumers by promoting the device as a CO2-neutral product, following a complaint from environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH).
Apple introduced its first “carbon neutral” products in September 2023 with the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. The label has since extended to newer models, including the Apple Watch Series 10 when paired with select bands.
Apple’s online store in the United States still highlights the carbon neutral label on certain configurations. The German decision forces Apple to alter or remove those claims from its retail stores and website in Germany.
Court Disputes Apple’s Offsets
The court’s ruling pointed to shortcomings in Apple’s reliance on carbon credit offsets to achieve its neutrality claims. According to Reuters, Apple based part of its carbon accounting on a project in Paraguay that involves planting eucalyptus trees on leased land. Judges said Apple failed to secure leases for three-quarters of the project area beyond 2029. They ruled that this failure undermines the long-term validity of the offsets.
Ecologists have also criticized eucalyptus plantations as “green deserts” for their strain on biodiversity and heavy water usage. DUH argued that carbon storage in such monocultures is limited and ecologically unstable. “The supposed storage of CO2 in commercial eucalyptus plantations is limited to just a few years, the contractual guarantees for the future are not sufficient and the ecological integrity of monoculture areas is not guaranteed,” DUH head Juergen Resch said in a statement.
In response, Apple defended its strategy. A company spokesperson told Reuters the ruling “broadly upheld our rigorous approach to carbon neutrality” but did not confirm whether Apple will appeal. The spokesperson also referred to a plan to phase out the “carbon neutral” label in compliance with European Union legislation set to restrict such terms from 2026.
Apple has previously highlighted a mix of measures to reduce emissions, including renewable energy, recycled materials, and ocean freight over air transport. The company reported that the carbon footprint of an Apple Watch has dropped to about 8 kilograms of CO2, an 80 percent reduction compared to 2015. It applies carbon credits to offset the remaining emissions.
At present, Apple designates both the Apple Watch and the Mac mini as carbon neutral products. The company has committed to transition its entire product line to net zero emissions by 2030.
