Climate groups to sue German carmakers

Environmental organizations Greenpeace and Environmental Action Germany (DUH) said Friday that they will sue German carmakers BMW, Mercedes-Benz and VW, as well as oil and gas company Wintershall Dea, over the negative impact the companies have on the climate.

Two lawyers — Remo Klinger and Roda Verheyen — who helped environmental activists force the German government to commit to more detailed plans of how it will reduce carbon emissions to near zero by 2050 will also represent the plaintiffs in this case, DUH said.

Following the success of the case against the government, the NGOs are hoping to pursue the precedent set by Germany’s Federal Constitution Court (BverfG) and uphold the rights of future generations.

“The BVerG concluded in its groundbreaking climate decision that future generations have a basic right to climate protection. Large corporations are also bound by this!” the BUH said in a tweet.

ab/sms (dpa, Reuters)

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/climate-groups-to-sue-german-carmakers/a-59071653?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf