Deutsche Umwelthilfe has sued the State of Saxony-Anhalt and the Free State of Saxony. According to information from the MDR, the association based in Berlin, Radolfzell and Hanover submitted two constitutional complaints to the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe at the end of last week. In these so-called climate actions, both countries are accused of not having created binding, statutory climate protection at the state level. However, the Paris Climate Agreement de facto obliges one to do so.
Umwelthilfe wants Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt to introduce their own climate protection laws
In both countries, the complaints themselves are being dealt with by three young people from the “Fridays For Future” environment. Umwelthilfe supports them in this. It has commissioned the Berlin law firm “Geulen & Klinger” to handle the lawsuits.
In addition to Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, lawsuits have also been filed against three other federal states, including Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In July, the organization had also sued North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Brandenburg before the Federal Constitutional Court. All eight countries have in common that they do not have a binding national climate protection law – or that, from the point of view of environmental aid, it does not meet the actual climate goals.
Climate action against the federal government has already been successful, and since then there have also been lawsuits against the federal states
Previously, the Federal Constitutional Court had one Climate action against the federal government given right. The federal government tightened it within a few weeks Federal Climate Protection Act. Germany is now to become climate neutral as early as 2045. However, this cannot be implemented without appropriate regulations at the state level, argues Umwelthilfe.
During the course of the day, MDR SACHSEN-ANHALT and MDR AKTUELL will report on further background information and reactions to the climate action.