New forest protection project by Apple— Greenwashing dispute with DUH continues
In the Gualala River Forest, the forest is to be managed sustainably and help Apple with "Net Zero." However, some environmentalists take critical view of this.
Forest area in California that Apple manages.
(Image: Apple)
Together with various partners, Apple has launched a major project to reduce its carbon footprint. With the Restore Fund launched in 2021 together with the major bank Goldman Sachs and Conservation International, the company is investing money in a forest area in California, the Gualala River Forest. Numerous old trees (redwoods) can be found here in Mendocino County. The aim is to manage the forest sustainably while at the same time protecting and partially reforesting it. This in turn is intended to generate carbon credits, i.e., climate certificates, for Apple and its partners. As Apple will not be able to make its entire supply chain climate neutral by 2030, such offsetting projects are necessary. This is not uncontroversial—environmental organizations such as Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) are taking legal action against it.
Dispute with German Environmental Aid
Apple recently lost a case against DUH in Germany. The ruling, which is not yet legally binding, states that Apple is not allowed to use the advertising claim “CO2-neutral” for its Apple Watch computer watch. The DUH accuses the iPhone company of greenwashing, as production is not (and practically cannot be) climate-neutral. Controversial compensation projects are used to compensate for this.
“This promise [of climate neutrality, editor's note] deceives consumers because it is based on a CO₂ emissions trade with an unsuitable compensation project,” says DUH. Apple, on the other hand, argues that it is well on the way to achieving its climate neutrality target by 2030 with the entire supply chain. Apple stated that it had already invested in “two dozen conservation and regenerative agriculture projects on six continents” with the Restore Fund since 2021.
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9.6 million tons of COâ‚‚ per year
Several iconic tree species grow in the Gualala River Forest, including the so-called redwoods. Forests are “one of the most powerful technologies we have for removing carbon from the atmosphere,” says Apple's Head of Environment Lisa Jackson. Apple invests in further projects with additional funds. Important suppliers such as TSMC (responsible for all Apple processors) and Murata (Japanese component manufacturer) are also involved.
Apple's goal is to work with its suppliers to remove “9.6 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere every year” by 2030. However, critics criticize such projects for being difficult to calculate. Apple emphasizes that it applies strict standards for compensation projects.
When the ruling in the dispute with DUH was announced, Apple emphasized that the court had “fundamentally confirmed our strict approach" to carbon neutrality. “Apple remains committed to further reducing emissions through industry-leading innovations in clean energy, low-carbon design, and more,” the company said in a statement in August. With these measures, it stated, it was “well on track to make our entire supply chain carbon neutral by 2030”. No information has yet been provided as to whether the company will appeal the ruling.
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