NGO files lawsuit over “insufficient” German climate plan
Germany’s National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) to reach 2030 targets is “insufficient” and in violation of EU law, said NGO Environmental Action Germany (DUH), and filed a lawsuit against the federal government with a regional court (Oberverwaltungsgericht Berlin-Brandenburg). Climate action measures outlined in the plan were not specific enough and it lacked verifiable forecasts to assess the actual impact, said DUH.
Especially the government’s measures in the transport and buildings sector were not enough to reach 2030 targets, said the organisation. “We now urgently need additional measures and a comprehensive refurbishment programme, especially for schools and kindergartens,” said federal managing director Barbara Metz.
While Germany has set many energy and climate targets into national laws like the Climate Action Law, the NECP is a document required by European Union rules and summarises plans with a 2030-horizon. Every EU member state has to submit an NECP, a ten-year plan which outlines how it intends to meet or contribute to meeting the EU energy and climate targets for 2030. The plans cover energy efficiency, renewables, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, interconnections with neighbouring countries, and research and innovation efforts. Countries had to submit their final updates to the NECP by the end of June 2024.
Non-profit advocacy group and think tank Clean Air Task Force (CATF) had criticised Germany’s update for “underestimating the scale and complexity of the infrastructure challenge” of the move to climate neutrality. Germany had submitted its original plan for the 2021-2030 period in 2019, so the update had to take into account all major developments since then. For example, the EU has overhauled most of its energy and climate legislation to reach higher climate targets, Germany has since introduced its target of climate neutrality by 2045, the energy crisis upended the country’s energy supply, and the current ruling coalition has introduced a raft of legislation to speed up the move to net zero emissions.