Andreas Korbmacher, the President of the Federal Administrative Court, emphasized the German federal government’s legal responsibilities regarding climate protection. He stated that the climate protection program must contain all necessary measures to ensure adherence to legally defined goals for greenhouse gas reduction. Referring to the Climate Protection Council’s review report, Korbmacher told the FAZ that, “we decided this in January, and nothing has changed concerning this”. He added that he does not believe the government intends to make concessions on its obligations within the 2026 climate program, pointing out that expert advice can only offer projections, which are inherently associated with uncertainties.
The court president also discussed the controversy surrounding the ruling on intensive broiler farming. Korbmacher noted that the judgment, referred to as the “rooster decree” was “not a ruling against mass livestock farming”. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that by permitting the legal action brought by animal welfare groups, the states were politically opening up potential avenues to strengthen animal protection law. He recalled that the court had recently ruled that the industry standards for intensive broiler farming were not compliant with animal welfare.
Regarding broader issues, Korbmacher addressed the European Union’s initiatives for nature restoration. He pointed out that the EU has adopted major environmental legislation which effectively limits the ability to build infrastructure. He stressed that fulfilling these conservation obligations requires “a massive effort” from the federal government, the states, and local municipalities.
