Environmental Group Hits Apple

Apple's lack of progress in combating global warming makes it a company to avoid by the climate-conscious consumer, a nonprofit group said.

In its second annual Company Scorecard, Climate Counts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to directing consumers toward the greenest companies, gave Apple 11 points out of a possible 100, placing the company last among electronic firms. IBM had the best score at 77, followed by Canon, 74; and Toshiba, 70.

The closest company to Apple was Dell, which had a score of 49. Dell and Nokia, 37, were described as a "good choice" for the environmentally conscious, while all other electronic companies listed, with the exception of Apple, were rated as "the best Climate Counts choice."

Apple was the only electronics company to get a "stuck" icon next to its name, meaning it's "a choice to avoid for the climate conscious consumer," the group said.

In rating electronics companies, Climate Counts, which released its scorecard this week, takes a look at whether they are reducing production-related emissions that contribute to global warming, making products that require less energy, and taking back products that are obsolete. The group uses a total of 22 criteria. In releasing the ratings, Climate Counts doesn't give details on individual companies.

Apple is no stranger to criticism from environmental groups. Greenpeace in October criticized the company for failing to take steps to phase out hazardous chemicals used in the iPhone. The group said the smartphone contains chlorinated plastic polyvinyl chloride and "brominated flame retardants" that can be harmful to the environment.