German court ruling undercuts Apple Watch's 'carbon neutral' claim

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Apple has set a target of becoming fully carbon neutral by 2030, but a German court has indicated that the Apple Watch is not yet meeting the environmental standards the company claims, a report said on Thursday.

At its 2023 launch, the American multinational corporation and technology company said the Apple Watch 9 was its first "carbon neutral" product, T3 reported.

However, a Frankfurt court recently ruled that this claim is "unfounded" according to Apple’s own criteria.

The issue lies in Apple’s approach of planting trees to compensate for the carbon footprint of producing the watch.

The court in Frankfurt noted that while Apple is funding eucalyptus tree planting in Paraguay, about 75% of the land being used is only leased to the company until 2029.

This raises concerns over whether the initiative will persist afterward.

According to the court, the absence of a “secure future for the continuation of the forest project" means Apple’s carbon-neutral assertion cannot be upheld.

"This promise deceives consumers because it is based on a carbon-indulgence scheme with an ineffective offsetting project," said Juergen Resch, federal managing director for Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH).

Apple has rejected the allegations, maintaining that its practices are in line with EU carbon neutrality standards.

"We strongly disagree with the DUH's position, which runs counter to the EU's and Germany's climate strategy and widespread international scientific consensus that both emissions reductions and carbon removal are necessary to achieve global climate goals," a representative from Apple told AppleInsider.