Environmental groups take federal government to court over climate targets
In a bid to push the German government towards implementing a robust climate program, Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) and Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) have lodged complaints with the Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court. The court is currently addressing their concerns, with a verdict expected on November 30th. Another hearing is scheduled for February 2024 to address additional complaints from the environmental groups.
According to Jürgen Resch, the Federal Managing Director of DUH, they have filed a total of five climate lawsuits against the German government. These lawsuits mainly focus on the transport and buildings sectors, where the current measures are believed to fall short of meeting the set climate targets.
In the view of the plaintiffs, the existing measures are inadequate to conform to the maximum allowable levels of climate-damaging greenhouse gases in individual sectors. They argue that the German government deliberately neglects climate targets and are using this lawsuit to compel them to adhere to their own laws and implement effective CO2 reduction measures.
Environmental associations, including DUH and BUND, are continuously scrutinizing the federal government's climate policies and processes, as they consider the measures insufficient to meet the climate targets. They are pushing for the implementation of more stringent CO2 reduction measures.
While the exact status and future hearing dates of these lawsuits are not publicly disclosed, ongoing legal discussions and research related to climate change and environmental law suggest a robust legal landscape. The Aarhus Convention, which grants environmental organizations the right to initiate lawsuits against governmental measures that contravene national environmental legislation, further strengthens their position.
Enrichment Data Integration:
The University of Trier's 'Recht des Klimawandels' (Climate Change Law) research focus and the Aarhus Convention's environmental organizations' access to justice are relevant insights. They highlight the ongoing legal discussions and research related to climate change and environmental law, as well as the legal rights that environmental organizations like DUH and BUND possess when pursuing environmental and climate-related legal actions. However, these insights are not mentioned explicitly in the provided sources and should be treated as supplementary information.
