3 May 2021
Germany must plan for the long-term, in climate measures court rules
Germany’s highest court ruled on a case brought by young climate activists which argued that the government’s plan for mitigating climate change did not go far enough, ending in 2030 and effectively leaving the responsibility for the younger generations’ future to them. The ruling serves as a strong reminder to governments that climate plans must be made decades ahead, not as the contested 2019 German climate law, setting a target for 2030 and subsequent measures to be decided in 2025.
The court’s ruling affirms the urgency of the change necessary as well as its primacy on the agendas of governments in assuring a healthy, safe life for their citizens.