Apple starts a new forest protection project – dispute with Duh around Greenwashing remains

Apple started a major project with various partners to reduce its CO₂ footprint. The group puts money in a forest area in California in 2021 together with the Großbank Goldman Sachs and Conservation International Restore Fund in a forest area in California The Gualala River Forest. Here in the Mendocino County there is numerous old tree population (redwoods). The aim is to manage the forest sustainably, but to protect it at the same time and to partially reforest. This in turn is intended to generate so -called carbon credits, i.e. climate certificates, for Apple and the partners. Since Apple does not manage to become real -neutral with its entire supply chain by 2030, such compensation projects are necessary. This is not undisputed – so environmental protection organizations such as the German Environmental Aid (DUH) complain.

Dispute with German environmental aid

Most recently, Apple had lost a procedure against the DUH in Germany. The no legally lustful judgment has yet stated that Apple is not allowed to equip his computer watch Apple Apple Watch with the advertising argument “CO2-neutral”. The DUH accuses the iPhone group Greenwashing because the production is not in a climate-neutral manner (and cannot be practically not). Some of the controversial compensation projects are used as compensation.

“This promise (the climate neutrality, editor’s note) is deceptive of consumers, because it is based on a CO₂ drainage trade with an unsuitable compensation project,” said the DUH. Apple, on the other hand, argues that you are on the best way to reach your climate neutrality goal with the entire supply chain by 2030. Apple stated that the restore find has been invested in “two dozen nature conservation and regenerative agricultural projects on six continents since 2021.

9.6 million tons of CO₂ per year

Some iconic tree species grow in the Gualala River Forest, including the so-called Mammut-Redwoods. Forests are “one of the most powerful technologies that we have to remove carbon from the atmosphere,” said Apple’s environmental chief Lisa Jackson. With other funds, Apple is investing in further projects-important suppliers such as TSMC (responsible for all Apple processors) and Murata (Japanese component manufacturer) are also involved in this.

Apple’s aim is to get “9.6 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere” together with its suppliers by 2030. However, critics complain about such projects that they are difficult to calculate. Apple emphasizes that strict standards for compensation projects.