Climate: Environmental groups sue the government for better climate protection

The environmental organizations Greenpeace and Germanwatch have filed a constitutional complaint about the federal government's inadequate climate protection policy. There are more than 54,000 co-plaintiffs, the associations announced. In addition to a climate protection law that complies with the constitution, concrete steps to reduce CO₂ in transport are also being demanded.

“The federal government is delaying effective and socially just climate protection measures and is thereby violating freedom and equality rights,” said the complainants' lawyer, Roda Verheyen. “In order to protect our fundamental rights, emission reductions must be initiated and implemented in a timely manner – the amendment to the Climate Protection Act achieves exactly the opposite.”

Around 20 plaintiffs demonstrated in front of the Federal Constitutional Court with climate protection banners. Some of them had already successfully obtained in Karlsruhe in 2021 that the government is obliged to protect the climate and the consequences of climate change within the framework of the Basic Law. In addition, corresponding measures must not be postponed at the expense of the younger generation.

Complainants see shortcomings especially in transport policy

In around ten weeks, all people aged 14 and over living in Germany were able to join the new constitutional complaint. The plaintiffs criticize the fact that, despite the Federal Constitutional Court's ruling in 2021, the federal government is not doing enough to achieve Germany's climate goals. The goals are being missed by a long shot, especially in the transport sector. Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) is refusing to quickly implement effective measures such as a speed limit.

The current constitutional complaint is just one of three complaints that several German environmental associations have filed together with other complainants against the inadequate climate policy. In addition to Greenpeace and Germanwatch, the German Environmental Aid (DUH) and the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) have also each filed a complaint together with the German Solar Energy Promotion Association (SFV).