Apple faces a lawsuit from seven consumers over claims that its Apple Watch Series 9, SE, and Ultra 2 are “carbon neutral” and environmentally friendly. The plaintiffs allege these claims are false and misleading, saying they would not have bought the watches or would have paid less had they known the truth.
The lawsuit, filed in San Jose, California federal court, challenges two carbon offsetting projects Apple relied on. The first is Kenya’s Chyulu Hills Project, where much of the land is within a national park that has been protected from deforestation since 1983. The second is China’s Guinan Project, where the land was already heavily covered by trees before the project began in 2015.
The plaintiffs argue that carbon reductions would have occurred regardless of Apple’s involvement or the projects’ existence, making Apple’s carbon neutrality claims false and misleading. They cite a study by the National Retail Federation and IBM, which says that 70% of U.S. and Canadian consumers consider environmental sustainability crucial when making purchases.
In response to the lawsuit, Apple defended its environmental record. The company says it has reduced emissions for Apple Watch by over 75% and is investing in nature-based projects to remove hundreds of thousands of metric tons of carbon from the air. Apple also says it details its work prominently and transparently for users.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and an injunction to block Apple from marketing the three watch models as carbon neutral. The case is titled Dib et al. v Apple Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 25-02043.
This legal challenge comes as Apple hopes to become carbon neutral by 2030, including its supply chain.
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