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DWS Greenwashing
About this case
Filing year
2022
Status
decided
Geography
Court/admin entity
Germany → Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main
Case category
Suits against corporations, individuals (Global)
Principal law
Germany
At issue
Whether advertisements of DWS claiming contribution towards climate goals, amounted to misleading advertising.
Documents
Filing Date
Document
Type
Summary
The consumer protection association of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg filed a lawsuit against Germany’s largest investment fund company DWS, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bank, on suspicion of misleading advertising and greenwashing. Before the Regional Court in Frankfurt, the complaint challenged statements that investments would help counteract climate change through targeted advertising and contribute towards achieving climate goals, without providing details or evidence.
In advance of the court hearing, DWS issued a cease-and-desist declaration, undertaking to refrain from the advertising in question.