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The Climate Litigation Database

Deutsche Umwelthilfe v. BP Europa SE

Geography
🇩🇪 Germany
Year
2022
Document Type
Litigation

About this case

Filing year
2022
Status
Decided
Geography
🇩🇪 Germany
Court/admin entity
Germany → Regional Court of Hamburg
Case category
Suits against corporations, individuals (Global) → Corporations (Global) → Misleading advertising (Global)
Principal law
Germany → Act Against Unfair Competition
At issue
Whether advertising claims around "climate neutrality" are misleading and in breach of the German Act against Unfair Competition

Documents

Filing Date
Document
Type
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Summary

In 2024, the Regional Court of Hamburg ruled that the oil and energy company BP Europa SE may no longer advertise its lubricants and motor oils as "climate neutral" or with the label "certified carbon neutral product." The oil giant justified the alleged climate neutrality of its products by purchasing carbon credits, including those from a forest conservation project in Zambia. Press release: https://www.duh.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/pressemitteilung/klimaklage-der-deutschen-umwelthilfe-erfolgreich-mineraloelkonzern-bp-darf-motorenoel-nicht-mehr-wie/