In September, Apple announced its next-generation smartwatch models would all have a "carbon neutral" option, at the same price as the non-carbon neutral options, starting at $249.
For Apple, making a product "carbon neutral" means that it changed its operations — including manufacturing, packaging and shipping — to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with making and selling its watches.
Depending on who you talk to, dubbing a product "carbon neutral" when the accounting requires buying carbon credits is either Apple acting responsibly and doing the best it can to contribute to climate mitigation strategies that are available right now, or an irresponsible misrepresentation of what "carbon neutral" should mean.
The relative effectiveness of nature-based carbon credits is contentious because some forestry carbon credits have been shown to be nullified when, for example, the forests set aside for carbon credits burn in wildfire season.
Even if the carbon credits Apple buys are of the highest quality, carbon credits are, by their very nature, an accounting strategy.
Persons:
It's, Apple, Elizabeth Sturcken, Barbara Haya, Haya
Organizations:
Apple, United, Environmental Defense Fund, CNBC, Berkeley, Trading, Goldman School of Public, University of California, Apple Watch
Locations:
United Nations, Berkeley