DUH v. McDonald’s

The Regional Court of Munich I (Landgericht München I) issued a recognition judgment (Anerkenntnisurteil) following an action brought by the German Environmental Action (Deutsche Umwelthilfe, DUH) against McDonald’s. The case concerned McDonald’s advertising of a commitment to become “climate neutral” by 2050, including its supply chain.

McDonald’s had promoted the 2050 target on its website but, according to the DUH, provided only vague and insufficient information about how the target would be achieved. The information did not set out a sufficiently concrete implementation strategy, including adequate measures for achieving the claimed future climate neutrality.

After receiving a formal warning from DUH, McDonald’s amended the advertising but did not issue a cease-and-desist declaration. DUH subsequently brought proceedings, which McDonald’s acknowledged. In June 2026, the court consequently issued an Anerkenntnisurteil, prohibiting McDonald’s from making the challenged 2050 climate-neutrality claim without sufficient and substantiated explanation of how the target would be achieved.