Not so fast: German court says Apple can’t call Watch carbon neutral

Two years ago, Apple announced its Watch Series 9 as its first carbon-neutral product. From cradle to grave, the company said the manufacturing, use, and disposal of the then-new model didn’t contribute to global warming.

Now, a German court says that Apple has to recant the claim.

Each aluminum Apple Watch Series 9 and Series 10 — two models with the carbon-neutral designation — generates just over 8 kilograms of carbon emissions. Apple then offsets those emissions through the purchase of carbon credits.

The German environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) brought the lawsuit against Apple.

“The Court has broadly upheld our rigorous approach to carbon neutrality,” an Apple spokesperson told TechCrunch via email. “We remain laser focused on further reducing emissions by industry-leading innovation in clean energy, low-carbon design and more — work that has put us on track to achieve carbon neutrality throughout our entire supply chain by 2030.”

A panel of German judges zeroed in on the nature of Apple’s carbon credits, which stem from the planting of eucalyptus trees in Paraguay. Three-quarters of the project area falls on leased land, and the leases end in 2029.

The court said the short timeline undermined the company’s carbon-neutral claims and runs afoul of German competition law. Consumers might reasonably expect that forests used in carbon offset projects today would remain standing in 2050 and beyond since the Paris Agreement calls for a cessation of carbon emissions in the latter half of the century.

“Consumers would therefore assume that CO₂ compensation is secured for the advertised Apple Watch until about 2050,” the court chairwoman said.

Without longer-term leases, it’s possible that the plantations would be cut down, undermining the carbon neutrality of any credits sold against them.

Update: Added statement from Apple.