Apple may be banned from talking about the environment

The European Parliament may ban Apple and other companies from making environmental claims about their products. The Financial Times (FT) reports this.

The EU drew attention to an advertisement for the Apple Watch, in which the company called the device the first carbon-neutral gadget. “Carbon neutrality claims are scientifically inaccurate and misleading to consumers,” said Monique Goyens, head of the European Consumer Organization (BEUC).

The European Parliament and the European Council recently reached an agreement to ban “misleading advertising” that includes companies talking about offsetting emissions. Experts interviewed by FT noted that through such advertising, Apple can engage in greenwashing, that is, position itself as an environmentally friendly company, without having sufficient grounds for this.

The agreement has not yet been formalized into law, but it may be adopted in the near future. “Consumers are being misled by the message that buying a Watch has no impact on the climate at all,” said Gilles Dufrasne, a specialist at the nonprofit Carbon Market Watch. In 2020, Apple promised to make its products 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030.

In mid-October, Apple CEO Tim Cook answered the question of what an Apple smartphone will be like in 20-30 years. According to the entrepreneur, by this time the iPhone will be carbon neutral.