Apple Faces Lawsuit Over ‘Carbon Neutral’ Apple Watch Claims

Apple is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging that its claims of certain Apple Watch models being “carbon neutral” are deceptive and misleading to consumers (via Reuters).

The lawsuit, filed in the federal court of San Jose, California, involves seven plaintiffs from California, Florida, and Washington, D.C., who purchased the Apple Watch Series 9, SE, and Ultra 2 models.

They contend that they would not have made these purchases, or would have paid less, had they been aware that Apple’s environmental claims were allegedly unsubstantiated.

The plaintiffs argue that Apple’s assertion of achieving carbon neutrality through a combination of reduced emissions and carbon offset projects is flawed. Specifically, they challenge the legitimacy of two carbon offset initiatives that Apple relies upon: the Chyulu Hills project in Kenya and the Guinan Project in China.

The lawsuit claims that these projects do not provide “genuine” carbon reductions, as the areas involved were already protected or forested prior to Apple’s involvement. This suggests that the carbon reductions would have occurred regardless of Apple’s participation, thereby rendering the company’s carbon neutrality claims misleading.

In response to the lawsuit, Apple has defended its environmental initiatives, stating that it has significantly reduced emissions for the Apple Watch by over 75%. The company also emphasizes its substantial investments in nature-based projects aimed at removing hundreds of thousands of metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere.

The plaintiffs reference a study by the National Retail Federation and IBM, indicating that 70% of consumers in the U.S. and Canada consider environmental sustainability a crucial factor in their purchasing decisions.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and an injunction to prevent Apple from marketing the three watch models as carbon neutral. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for how companies substantiate and communicate their environmental claims in the future.