Apple accused of greenwashing in US lawsuit

Core Viewpoint - A lawsuit has been filed against Apple, alleging that the company's claims of carbon neutrality through two forest projects are misleading, as these projects would be occurring regardless of Apple's involvement [2][3]. Group 1: Lawsuit Details - A group of Apple Watch buyers has accused Apple of exaggerating the environmental benefits of its smartwatch production [2]. - The lawsuit argues that the two nature-based projects cited by Apple for carbon neutrality do not provide genuine carbon reductions [3]. - Plaintiffs are seeking class-action status to represent all buyers of specific Apple Watch models [5]. Group 2: Project Claims - The Chyulu Hills Project is claimed to generate carbon credits by preventing deforestation, but the land has been legally protected from deforestation since 1983 [4]. - The Guinan Project claims to have planted trees on barren land, but the area was already heavily forested prior to the project's initiation [4]. Group 3: Company Response - Apple has rejected the allegations, stating that it has reduced emissions for the Apple Watch by over 75% and is investing significantly in nature-based projects to remove hundreds of thousands of metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere [3]. - The company claims to have retired 485,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents primarily through the Chyulu Hills Project and the Guinan Project [3]. Group 4: Greenwashing Concerns - The lawsuit highlights concerns about greenwashing, suggesting that companies may exaggerate their environmental efforts to capitalize on growing environmental consciousness without achieving genuine sustainability [5][6]. - It is noted that carbon neutrality claims based on offsetting are particularly vulnerable to greenwashing when relying on ineffective or redundant offset projects [6].