A German court has ruled against Apple’s marketing claim that its Apple Watch is a “carbon neutral product”. The Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main delivered the decision Tuesday, following a lawsuit filed by the Deutsche Umwelthilfe (German Environmental Aid).
The court’s commercial division determined the advertising was misleading and violated competition law. The ruling centers on the longevity of Apple’s carbon offsetting program.
The court reasoned that, in light of the 2015 Paris Agreement, consumers expect carbon neutrality claims to represent secure offsetting measures extending to approximately 2050. Apple had based its claim on a forest project in Paraguay intended to balance the carbon footprint of the Apple Watch. However, the court found that lease agreements covering 75 percent of the project area are only valid until 2029, failing to guarantee long-term carbon compensation.
Apple’s assertion that a Verra buffer account was established to secure lease extensions was deemed insufficient. The court concluded that mere monitoring of the project does not ensure sustainable carbon compensation.
The ruling is currently not final and can be appealed to the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main.