The Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has warned the federal government that the climate‑protection gap must be closed in full by the upcoming climate‑protection programme 2026, and that it is ready to enforce the ruling of the Federal Administrative Court if necessary.
According to DUH’s national director Jürgen Resch, who spoke to the “Rheinische Post” (Wednesday edition), the Supreme Court‑approved judgment of the Federal Administrative Court clearly states that the government must now end its climate‑law breach and present a programme that includes effective measures such as a speed limit or a genuine heat‑transition strategy. Resch added that the organisation can pursue enforcement of this judgment at any time if the climate‑protection gap is not fully eliminated.
DUH argues that the 2030 climate goal is “binding law, not a nice‑to‑have”. The current government, on the contrary, is steering in the wrong direction. “At the EU level, it backtracks on the long‑settled phasing‑out of combustion engines, and the core points of the Building Modernisation Act would greatly widen the already existing climate gap” Resch said.
The group had already sued the 2023 climate‑protection programme adopted by the coalition government and won a judgment in the final appeal at the Federal Administrative Court. That decision means the current government must enhance the 2023 programme with additional measures. The court criticised the forecasts of the federal government for being flawed, and noted a deficit of 200 million tonnes of CO₂‑equivalent that must be bridged to reach the 2030 intermediate target. The programme must contain all measures needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65 percent relative to 1990 levels by 2030.
