Seven Apple Watch customers have sued Apple, arguing that the company’s claim of the watches being carbon neutral is false and misleading.
The class-action lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of California on Feb. 26 on behalf of everyone in the US who bought the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch SE 2, and Apple Ultra 2. The plaintiffs argue that if they knew Apple was falsely advertising these products as carbon neutral, they wouldn’t have paid as much.
The watches in question were launched in September 2023 as Apple’s first carbon-neutral products. Per the lawsuit, to achieve carbon neutrality, Apple claimed to have reduced the overall emissions of the products by 75% and offset the remaining percentage through “high-quality carbon credits from nature-based projects.”
To achieve its 2023 goals, Apple aimed to remove 485,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (aka carbon retirement) through two projects: the Chyulu Hills Project in Kenya and the Guinan Project in China. The lawsuit claims that both these regions were heavily forested before Apple’s project began, and they would have contributed to carbon reductions even without the company’s involvement.
Carbon neutral label on Apple Watch packaging (Credit: Angela Moscaritolo/PCMag)
The plaintiffs further argue that by positioning the watches as carbon neutral, Apple justified its premium pricing and showcased brand differentiation and product superiority, all of which affect purchase decisions. As a result, customers have suffered economic injury, the suit claims. They paid a premium for “false environmental claims” and “did not receive the benefit of their bargain.”
The plaintiffs now seek compensation for customers who overpaid. They are also suing Apple for violating state consumer protection laws, breaching express and implied warranties, unjust enrichment, and fraud.
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In a statement to Reuters, Apple didn’t address the case but defended its environmental achievements. “We’ve drastically cut emissions for Apple Watch by over 75%, and we are investing significantly in nature-based projects to remove hundreds of thousands of metric tons of carbon from the air. We detail our work prominently and transparently for our users.”
In a separate case, Apple is being sued for using “forever chemicals” in watch bands.
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