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by Samuel Buchmann
No longer "CO₂ neutral": Apple must change advertising for Watch after judgement
27.8.2025
Translation: machine translated
It is a success for environmentalists: Apple is no longer allowed to advertise the Apple Watch in Germany by claiming that it is manufactured in a CO₂-neutral way. A court ruled that this statement was "misleading".
Deutsche Umwelthilfe 1, Apple 0. In the dispute before the Frankfurt Regional Court, the environmentalists won against the US company. The point of contention was an advertising statement by Apple for the Apple Watch Series 10 and the SE model. The product pages in Apple's online shop had stated:
The Apple Watch is our first CO₂-neutral product.
The German Environmental Aid Association (DUH), an organisation committed to climate protection and the environment, took issue with this. The regional court in Frankfurt am Main has now ruled that the lawsuit is justified. However, the judgement is not yet final and Apple can appeal against it. It applies exclusively to the German market, not to Switzerland.
The core issue was whether Apple's CO₂ compensation was sufficient to be able to advertise the Apple Watch as «climate-neutral». According to the court, the lease agreements for the forest project in Paraguay, through which Apple offsets the emissions, are largely only valid until 2029 and the company has not been able to prove that the lease agreements will be extended. There is therefore no secure prospect for the continuation of the project.
Consumers, however, are likely to expect such a commitment to extend in the long term, for example until 2050. This expectation is based on the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015 and its 1.5-degree target for the maximum temperature increase in the Earth's atmosphere, which is well known to the public.
«Carbon Neutral» logo may remain
In contrast, Apple was successful as far as the «Carbon Neutral» logo is concerned. The DUH had complained that the logo could be misunderstood by consumers as a seal of quality. The court took a different view here: the logo should only be understood as an indicator of whether a product in question can be categorised as carbon neutral according to Apple's standards.
Source: Martin Jungfer
The logo issue in particular shows how difficult it is to prosecute companies for greenwashing. There are hundreds of logos that are designed to communicate sustainability, animal, plant or climate protection to customers. Often without a sound basis. But when does this already constitute greenwashing? And what does it actually mean when CO₂ neutrality essentially boils down to having trees planted somewhere in the world? Is that really what «Mother Nature» needs? After all, she made it unmistakably clear how serious the situation is for an Apple 2023 promotional video.
Of course, German Environmental Aid has chosen Apple, a large corporation, for a greenwashing lawsuit. This ensures the attention that is absolutely necessary for an NGO. The question remains as to how the battle against other, smaller companies that also practise greenwashing can be won.
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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