A total of 28 German cities are facing legal action because of harmful levels of air pollution. Photo: © Shutterstock – LUNA4

11 more court cases over Germany’s dirty air

Following the victory in Germany’s highest court in February, environmental organisations Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) and ClientEarth are now taking legal action against authorities in an additional eleven German cities over illegal air pollution. The number of German cities facing legal action by the organisations now stands at 28.

The two NGOs have targeted cities with levels of illegal pollution so high that they are unlikely to be brought below legal limits without restrictions on the most polluting diesel vehicles.

ClientEarth chief executive James Thornton said: “The Federal Administrative Court’s ruling was unambiguous – German authorities have the power and the duty to restrict diesel to comply with air pollution law. Prolonging the inevitable is a breach of authorities’ legal duty to protect the people of Germany against harmful air pollution.

The new cases are being launched against: Backnang, Esslingen, Heilbronn, Ludwigsburg, Marbach, Reutlingen, Offenbach, Bochum, Dortmund, Düren and Paderborn.

Cases already launched are in: Berlin, Bonn, Darmstadt, Düsseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Halle, Hannover, Kiel, Köln, Limburg, Mainz, Munich, Stuttgart and Wiesbaden.

Source: ClientEarth News, 29 March 2018

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11 more court cases over Germany’s dirty air

In this issue

EU ship sulphur directive scrutinized

Editorial: Everyone's right to clean air

Wind and solar can be integrated into the grid

Renewables are rolling out rapidly

Limits to achieving “4 per 1000” target

Savings threat to a more sustainable agriculture

Eating healthily and sustainably

IMO adopts greenhouse gas strategy for shipping

Diesels in low-emission zones?

CO2 makes up 81 per cent of US greenhouse gases

Germany still constructing new coal power stations

Average CO2 level exceeds 410 ppm for first time

1.5°C target still within reach

New low-emission zones in Sweden

Myths about carbon storage – the Sleipner case

Norweigan CCS hype moves from power to industrial processes

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