Those who risk and violate fundamental rights of individuals by emitting greenhouse gases have a double legal duty: firstly, to stop this violation so that (fundamental) rights are not undermined. Secondly, polluters must pay for the protection of those at risk and for any damage that occurs. In order to enforce these legal obligations in Germany and on the international level, Germanwatch is engaged in climate litigation.
We use litigation as a strategic tool to accelerate political solutions - such as for ambitious climate protection - where politics and business do not act sufficiently. We want to give affected people a voice and support them in taking their concerns to court on behalf of a large number of people, thereby increasing the pressure on politicians and companies to respect human rights and promote sustainable business models. Germanwatch supports the plaintiffs ideally and concretely with advice, expertise, networking and public relations.
Strategic climate litigation
A key aspect of strategic climate litigation is that the objectives they pursue go far beyond the individual interests of the plaintiffs. They aim, for example, to improve climate protection and the protection of fundamental rights, to create relevant precedents, to push overdue political decisions and to raise awareness.
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Kläger Saúl und Germanwatch freuen sich über das Urteil im Fall RWE. (Foto: Germanwatch e.V. / T. Regesch)
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Gemeinsam mit über 54.000 Zukunftskläger:innen hat Germanwatch in Zusammenarbeit mit Greenpeace Verfassungsbeschwerde gegen das Klimaschutzgesetz eingereicht. Mit der Beschwerde wird die Bundesregierung dazu aufgefordert, ein Klimaschutzgesetz vorzulegen, das Maßnahmen beinhaltet, die Freiheitsrechte aller Menschen heute und in Zukunft schützen.
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Historischer Sieg: Der Europäische Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte (EGMR) hat entschieden: Klimaschutz ist Menschenrecht. Germanwatch hat das Verfahren der Schweizer KlimaSeniorinnen als Drittintervenient unterstützt. Ein Meilenstein für Klimagerechtigkeit in Europa!
© Shervine Nafissi / Greenpeace -
Weltweit ziehen immer mehr Menschen vor Gericht, um Schutz vor den Folgen der Klimakrise einzufordern. Auf dem Foto: Kläger:innen, die sich in den vergangenen zehn Jahren gemeinsam mit Germanwatch für Klimagerechtigkeit eingesetzt haben.
Currently ongoing procedures
Securing the Fundamental Rights of Tomorrow: The constitutional complaint
Along with more than 54,000 claimants, we are taking the German government to court. We are demanding a national climate policy that protects fundamental rights and liberties today and in the future.
© Christophe Gateau / Greenpeace
Climate cases already concluded
Making polluters liable - The RWE Case
After almost ten years, Saul Luciano Lliuya has made history in a German court: the ruling confirms that large emitters such as RWE can be held legally responsible for climate damage – even if those affected live thousands of kilometers away. This precedent strengthens the rights of people worldwide, paves the way for further climate lawsuits, and increases pressure on politicians and companies to finally take responsibility for the costs of the climate crisis.
For a Right to the Future: The Constitutional Complaint
In 2020, nine young people between the ages of 15 and 32 from different regions of Germany decided to go to the Federal Constitutional Court to challenge the Federal Climate Protection Act (passed in 2019) because it is too weak to effectively contain the consequences of the climate crisis today and in the future. In spring 2021, the Court announced its groundbreaking decision. It states that today's insufficient climate policies affect tomorrow's freedoms and fundamental rights. It is a constitutional requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and this must no longer be delayed at the expense of younger generations. Germanwatch, Greenpeace and Protect the Planet supported the young plaintiffs.
The People's Climate Case
In May 2018, ten families affected by climate change from Europe, Kenya and Fiji, as well as a Sami youth association, filed a lawsuit with the European Court demanding the protection of their fundamental rights and calling on the European legislator to adapt the European climate targets for 2030 accordingly. The case was dismissed in 2021. Nevertheless, the demands of the plaintiffs were accepted on the political level: the EU adjusted its climate targets for 2030.
