Apple must withdraw advertisements in Germany Claiming that its smartwatches are CO2 neutral. The Court in Frankfurt Ruled on Tuesday that the advertisements are misleading.
The Case was Brought by the Environmental Organization Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH). Apple is engaging in “Blatant Greenwashing” with the Claims, the Organization Stated. The Court Confirmed This and Ruled That The Company Must Stop Making that Claim in Advertisements.
Apple Can Appeal Against the Judgment. However, as long as there is no final ruling, The Company May No Longer Make the Claim About Climate Neutrality. If Apple Does So Anyway, The Company Will Have To Pay A Fine or 250,000 euros per Violation, Accordination to German Media.
Accordance to the Judge, consumers associate the term ‘CO2-Neutral’ with the paris climateoonelement from 2015. It stipulates that Countries must be climate neutral by 2050. In the case of Apple, ‘CO2-Neutal’ Means That the Climate Damage Compensated for elsewhere. It does not mean that no co2 is emitted at all that no damage is caused to the climate.
In any case, consumers of associate the word ‘climate neutral’ with the year 2050. But Apple had based its CO2 compensation on a forestry project in Paraguay that only runs until 2029. The Company Cannot Guarantee CO2 Neutality at all, Says.