Prototype company example
Apple
A German court found Apple’s challenged carbon-neutral Watch claim misleading
Read the findings ↓
Illumination Index
12/22
Findings ↓
Research detail ↓
Sources ↓
What was reviewed:
The Apple Watch carbon-neutral advertisement, reported emissions reductions, carbon credits and a German court decision.
What this means for you:
A carbon-neutral label can include payments for climate projects intended to balance remaining emissions. It does not necessarily mean the product creates no emissions.
Details behind the findings
More than 60%
Company-wide greenhouse-gas reduction reported in 2025, compared with 2015
One product claim
The court finding concerned the challenged advertisement
What The Illumination Index Found
Findings
Apple described reducing emissions from materials, electricity and transport, then using carbon credits from nature-based projects to address the remaining amount. Credits represent climate benefits intended to balance emissions elsewhere
1
Apple combined reductions with carbon credits.
What this means:
Look at both parts: how much was reduced, and what evidence supports the credits used for what remains.
On August 26, 2025, the Frankfurt Regional Court found the challenged advertisement misleading. The court questioned whether the forestry project behind the credits had a secure future long enough to support the claim.
A court found the challenged advertisement misleading
2
What this means:
This concerned a particular advertisement, not every Apple sustainability statement. The court said its decision could be appealed at the time of publication.
Overall progress and a product claim need different checks.
3
Apple reported a company-wide greenhouse-gas reduction of more than 60% from 2015 in its 2025 report. Supporting a specific product’s carbon-neutral label also required evidence about the credits used for remaining emissions.
What this means:
A company can report substantial overall reductions while a particular product claim still needs closer examination.
How to read the research detail
These are the original names used in the research. Each indicator is a question applied to the same selected messages and records. The explanation below each name tells you what was checked. The number records what the researcher found in those materials.
Some labels need their explanation. “Third-party verification” checks whether outside support is missing or described inaccurately; a higher value does not mean more outside review.
0 - Not detected
1 - Partially detected
2 - Clearly detected
ESG means environmental, social and governance. TCFD means Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, a framework for reporting climate related business risks and opportunities. Indicator values describe the original coding behind the overall result.
Sources
Apple. (2024). Apple environmental progress report 2024 [PDF]. https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Apple_Environmental_Progress_Report_2024.pdf
Apple. (2024). Annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Form 10-K). U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. https://investor.apple.com/sec-filings/annual-reports/default.aspx
Apple. (n.d.). Environment. https://www.apple.com/environment/
CDP. (n.d.). Apple CDP disclosure . https://www.cdp.net/en/responses
InfluenceMap. (2025). Apple: Climate policy engagement [LobbyMap database profile]. https://lobbymap.org/company/Apple
Net Zero Tracker. (n.d.). Apple. Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit, Oxford Net Zero, NewClimate Institute, & Data-Driven EnviroLab. https://zerotracker.net
Science Based Targets initiative. (n.d.). SBTi target dashboard. https://sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action