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, reports Reuters.
The ruling found that the tech giant had misled consumers. 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 told Reuters that the court ruling “broadly upheld our rigorous approach to carbon neutrality” and declined to comment on whether the company would appeal Tuesday’s ruling. In June, Apple had said the German lawsuit threatens “to discourage the kind of credible corporate climate action the world needs.”
Apple is already removing the “carbon neutral” logo/symbol from its packaging, according to Fast Company.
The tech giant first introduced the mark two years ago with its first carbon neutral products—watches made with 75% fewer carbon emissions, with carbon offsets covering the rest. A carbon neutral Mac mini followed. Now, however, Apple is beginning to phase out the label, and boxes without it could start appearing later this year, according to Fast Company.
Why the change? A new European Union law is forcing the issue. By September 2026, companies will no longer be allowed to use claims like “carbon neutral” or “climate neutral” on packaging, ads, or product pages. Critics say such terms risk misleading consumers. Apple agrees that strong standards are important—but argues it is losing a way to highlight genuine progress in cutting emissions.
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Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
