Apple gets criticized by the EU on the use of "carbon neutral" claims for its newest Apple Watches

Apple gets criticized by the EU on the use of “carbon neutral” claims for its newest Apple Watches،

Apple has recently come under scrutiny for its environmental claims, and it is now under fire from the EU over the Apple Watch’s latest carbon neutrality claims, reports 9to5Mac. It appears that the European Union is rejecting the claim for a carbon-neutral Apple Watch.

Apple’s carbon neutrality claim with Apple Watch challenged by EU

At Apple’s September event, the company also announced two carbon-neutral Apple Watch options for the Series 9 and the Ultra 2. However, this claim is now disputed by European consumer organization BEUC.

Apple says customers can get a carbon-neutral option for new Apple Watches in its Press release of the September event. The company says the Apple Watch Series 9 is its first carbon-neutral product.

There is a caveat, however. Even in Apple’s press release it is admitted that the claim is based on the use of offset credits. According to the message, emissions from materials, electricity and transportation have been reduced. According to Apple, the small amount of remaining emissions are offset by high-quality carbon credits.

It appears that the “small amount” of emissions remaining is between 7 and 12 kg per watch.

The European Consumer Organization subsequently rejected the carbon neutrality claim. Monique Goyens, director general of BEUC, said carbon neutrality claims are “scientifically inaccurate and misleading to consumers”. The EU is also considering banning carbon neutrality claims.

But what exactly is BEUC? It is actually a group that brings together 45 independent consumer organizations from 31 EU countries. Gilles Dufrasne, policy manager at Carbon Market Watch, said Apple’s claim is also misleading because it suggests to customers that they are buying a watch with no climate impact.

Despite the criticism, it is recognized that Apple has done a good job in eliminating 81% of emissions from watches, compared to 2015.

The EU also announced plans to ban the use of carbon neutrality claims in general, mainly because almost 100% of companies making such claims rely on offsets. The ban is not yet official, but it is expected to take effect in 2026 if approved.