NGOs and citizens file lawsuit with Germany’s highest court to enforce climate protection
WDR
A group of German citizens and NGOs has filed a lawsuit with the country’s constitutional court to oblige the government to pursue a more rigorous climate policy to “protect [the individuals’] right to life, physical integrity, and free development, as well as their property rights,” Jürgen Döschner writes on the public broadcaster WDR’s website. “It’s unclear whether the lawsuit will be accepted, but it will certainly have an effect” by creating publicity, Döschner writes. The claimants include TV actor Hannes Jaenicke, former member of parliament Josef Göppel of the conservative CSU party, solar power researcher Volker Quaschning, as well as the environmental NGO Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND). They argue that Germany’s government, parliament and council of federal states “have not taken adequate measures to enforce” the 2020 climate target of lowering carbon emissions by 40 percent with respect to 1990 levels and to comply with the goals agreed on in the Paris Climate Agreement. “Climate change by far is the greatest threat to our country,” researcher Quaschning told WDR, adding that “it’s sad that a constitutional complaint has to be made to protect our livelihood.”
Read the article in German here.
For background, read the article Germany on track to widely miss 2020 climate target – government.
