"Apple Watch not a 'CO2-neutral product,' German court finds", 26 August 2025

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Apple can no longer advertise its Apple Watch as a "CO2-neutral product" in Germany, following a court ruling on Tuesday that upheld a complaint from environmentalists...

Apple had promoted the device online as "our first CO2-neutral product," a claim found by a panel of judges to be unfounded and in violation of German competition law, according to a statement from a regional court in Frankfurt.

An Apple spokesperson said the court ruling "broadly upheld our rigorous approach to carbon neutrality" and declined to comment on whether the company would appeal Tuesday's ruling.

…a spokesperson referred…to a report that Apple will phase out the 'carbon neutral' label it uses for Apple Watches in order to comply with EU legislation coming into force in September 2026 restricting the use of such terms.

Apple based its claim of carbon neutrality on a project it operates in Paraguay to offset emissions by planting eucalyptus trees on leased land…

However, the Frankfurt court said that leases for 75% of the project area were not secured beyond 2029 and that the company could not guarantee these contracts would be extended…