Abstract

In April 2022, Apple Inc. (Apple) announced that the company had partnered with the Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF) to protect the mangrove forests in Raigad, Maharashtra, India. Apple planned to invest in forestry projects across the world to reduce carbon from the atmosphere. The case discusses the importance of mangrove forests and the role they play in climate mitigation. It points out that though Apple had implemented various de-carbonization initiatives, it had to contend with allegations of green washing. The case discusses the carbon transition initiative undertaken by Apple and the challenges it faced in its efforts to reduce the carbon footprint in its operations. Allegations made by climate and environmental activists against the company are put forth in the case. The case ends with the question whether Apple will be able to justify its carbon transition initiatives and counter the allegations of Greenwashing.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the concept of greenwashing
• Examine the importance of carbon transition initiatives to combat global warming
• Evaluate the components of carbon emission of an organization under Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol
• Understand the role of corporates in reducing the impact of global warming

Keywords

Green Washing; Blue Carbon; Carbon Transition; Global Warming; Greenhouse Gas Protocol; Components of Carbon Emission