Starting with the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple made a big deal about it being a carbon neutral product. This was due to a combination of an ~80% reduction in emissions, with Apple offering high-quality carbon offsets to make up what’s left. The company also followed suit with the new Mac mini.
However, Apple no longer advertises any Apple Watch or Mac mini as carbon neutral. Why? Well, this change in marketing does not reflect a change in policy. Apple remains committed to its ‘Apple 2030’ carbon neutral target as ever, but a ruling in the EU means Apple now has to avoid using the ‘carbon neutral’ term in relation to its products …
An EU law that comes into effect in September 2026 essentially restrains companies from using claims like “carbon neutral” in marketing for their products … even if the products are completely carbon neutral.
Rather than allow different companies to interpret the meaning of carbon neutrality differently, EU regulators simply took a hardline approach and chose to prevent any company from mentioning it.
In preparation of this, Apple has opted to switch up its environmental marketing worldwide. This is why the individual products like Watches and Macs are no longer advertised as “carbon neutral”. This change in approach was actually first mentioned in a Fast Company profile from August.
While it can’t shout about it as loudly as it could a year ago, Apple’s work on reducing emissions continues. The Apple Watch Series 11 has less net emissions compared to the Series 10 for instance; 8.1kg vs 8.3kg respectively.
The company still says it is on track to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire supply chain by 2030.