At the much-gratifying September 2023 event, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Max were unveiled alongside the inaugural lineup of Apple’s carbon-neutral products. The all-new Apple Watch lineup has been dramatically showcased to have reduced nearly 75 percent of product emissions. The tech giant marked a tremendous step towards its commitment to the ‘Apple 2030 goal’ to make all its products and its global supply chain carbon-neutral by the end of the decade.
However, it’s essential to view this development in the context of Apple’s overall environmental impact, rather than focusing solely on individual products.
Is Apple Actually Carbon Neutral?
Apple has announced some of its products, specifically certain combinations of cases and bands for Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple Watch SE, will be carbon neutral. Apple enthusiasts can identify these products by a new logo on the packaging.
“This is no time for changes at the margins. Together, we can transition to a carbon neutral economy and usher in a new era of inclusive opportunity.”
– Tim Cook, Apple CEO
Apple’s carbon-neutral initiative extends to ‘select’ combinations for certain Apple Watch models. Notably, the company also intends to discontinue the sale of leather accessories including watch bands and phone cases, to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. So does that make Apple 100 percent green? Not quite yet.
What is Apple’s Carbon Footprint?
The positive news is that Apple’s gross carbon emissions are decreasing, as indicated in its latest environmental progress report. In 2022, Apple’s carbon footprint was equivalent to 20.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in contrast to generating about 22.6 million metric tons of CO2e in 2020.
While it may seem tempting to celebrate a particular product’s sustainability claims, it should not act like an obiter dictum and cloak Apple’s broader environmental objectives. Albeit Apple’s carbon-neutral goal by 2030 seems ambitious, it is itself a benchmark for which the tech giant must be held accountable.
How Is The Apple Watch Carbon Neutral?
Apple won this carbon neutrality objective for the Apple Watch by reducing emissions across various production stages, including materials, electricity usage, and transportation. Much of this reduction came from persuading more suppliers to transition to 100 percent clean energy sources.
Apple has taken strides to become more environmentally friendly by working towards carbon neutrality by 2030. The iPhone 15 maker pledges to match customers’ expected electricity consumption when charging the carbon-neutral Apple Watch models by investing in renewable energy projects. Any remaining emissions were offset through nature-based projects, such as reforestation efforts aimed at capturing carbon dioxide.
In a further eco-conscious move, Apple is replacing leather with a sustainable material called FineWoven. Comprising nearly 70% post-consumer recycled content, FineWoven not only offers durability but also significantly lower carbon emissions compared to leather.
The apparent sustainability of an individual product doesn’t necessarily reflect the company’s overall progress toward its climate goals. Apple may succeed in making a single product like the Apple Watch less carbon-intensive, but if the sales of the same product increase substantially, it could end up emitting as much or even more greenhouse gases (GHG) than before. The growing risks of e-waste also need to be tackled. Apple directed more than 38,000 tonnes of e-waste globally, to recycling in 2021. Maybe the new USB-C charging design will be a safe bet for the tech giant in reducing this figure.
So will the Apple Watch prove to be a driving force towards Apple’s carbon-neutral promises or is it just a smokescreen from the bigger picture?
