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Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) v. Mercedes-Benz AG - judgment

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Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) v. Mercedes-Benz AG - petition

Filing Year For Action

On September 20, 2021, environmental organization Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH; Environmental Action Germany) filed an action against Mercedes-Benz in the Regional Court of Stuttgart for not yet having clearly and irreversibly committed to phase out the sale of passenger cars with internal combustion engines (ICE) by 2030. DUH argues that by failing to do so, the automaker is violating the fundamental right to climate protection and impinging upon the rights and freedoms of future generations, as phase out would be necessary for the company to adhere to its allocated carbon budget. The claim is grounded in the Paris Agreement and German Tort Law. The plaintiff relies on the earlier decision by the Federal Constitutional Court (BVerfG) on the German Climate Protection Act, where the Court accepted that Germany has a limited total CO2 emissions budget remaining at its disposal (<a href="https://climatecasechart.com/non-us-case/neubauer-et-al-v-germany/">Neubauer v. Germany</a>). The action filed against Mercedes-Benz is one of the first civil proceedings based on this decision.

DUH asks the court to hold that, (i) unless Mercedes-Benz can prove GHG neutrality for Scope 3 CO2 emissions resulting from the intended use of their ICE passenger cars, after October 31, 2030, Mercedes-Benz is obliged to refrain from placing ICE passenger cars on the market; and (ii) unless Mercedes-Benz can prove GHG neutrality for Scope 3 CO2 emissions globally exceeding 511 million tons resulting from the intended use of ICE passenger cars (based on an average mileage of 200,000 km), between January 1, 2022 and October 31, 2030 Mercedes-Benz is obliged to refrain from placing ICE passenger cars on the global market. Alternatively, DUH asks the court to order Mercedes-Benz to stop placing new ICE passenger cars on the German market after October 31, 2030, unless Mercedes-Benz can prove GHG neutrality for the intended use of said cars. The requested ban on producing new ICE cars would take effect earlier than the 2035 effective ban proposed by the EU in July 2021. 

On September 13, 2022, the Regional Court of Stuttgart dismissed the case, on the grounds that it is up to the legislator to decide the appropriate measures to protect the climate. The court went on to state that this could not be preempted by an individual action before a civil court. DUH has announced that it will appeal this decision before the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart. 

It held that the DUH could not rely on a “quasi-negatory” claim by analogy to Sections 12, 862 and 1004 of the German Civil Code, as such a remedy presupposes that conduct which is lawful in itself nonetheless gives rise to an unlawful situation. The marketing of new internal combustion engine vehicles did not meet that threshold.

The court further explained that any unlawfulness could arise, if at all, only through the indirect horizontal effect of fundamental rights. However, the reach of fundamental rights in relations between private parties cannot exceed the scope of the State’s own constitutional obligations. The DUH had not demonstrated that the State is required, under fundamental rights law, to prohibit Mercedes-Benz Group AG from selling combustion engine vehicles by 2030. To the contrary, the legislature was found to have acted within its constitutional responsibilities to curb greenhouse gas emissions, in particular through the EU climate policy framework Fit for 55, which mandates that, from 2035 onwards, no new vehicles may be registered in the EU if their operation entails greenhouse gas emissions. Against this background, the court saw no basis for concluding that continued sales until the end of 2034 would, in themselves, constitute a violation of the DUH’s fundamental rights.

In October 2025, the Federal Court of Justice, Germany’s highest civil court, granted leave to appeal on points of law. This step opens the door for a landmark examination of whether and to what extent automobile manufacturers can be held civilly liable for climate-related harm linked to their products.

Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) v. Mercedes-Benz AG

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

Groups  of people who are adversely affected by climate change or the response to it

A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

A long-lived, colourless gas, chiefly emitted from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation and cement production.

Terrestrial means "of the earth" and relates to the risks to ecological system that includes all living organisms and their interactions within land-based environments, such as forests, grasslands, and deserts.

A ban is a legal action that prevents the sale or supply of a product or service, or that recalls a product from the market. Examples are bans on SF6, greenwashing, fossil fuel advertisement or single-use plastics.

This sector includes firms and individuals offering specialised expertise in fields such as law, accounting, consulting, science and engineering.

The activities of industries that transforms raw materials into finished goods through industrial processes.

Actions to adapt human health, healthcare systems and well-being to climate change.

The activities of industries involved in the production, distribution, and sale of energy, including electricity, gas, and renewables.

A commitment to balance GHG emissions with removal by a certain point in time, effectively reducing the net emissions to zero

This sector creates and distributes information and entertainment through television, radio, print, and digital platforms.

Oil is a combustible liquid fossil fuel composed mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring as crude oil and refined into petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene.

The release of heat-trapping gases, primarily from human activities such as burning fossil fuels, agriculture and industry.

This sector involves managing waste treatment, sanitation, pollution control and environmental cleanup.

Slow onset events evolve gradually from incremental changes over many years or from increased frequency or intensity of recurring events. As defined in the Cancun Adaptation Framework (2010), slow onset events include risks and impacts from rising temperatures, desertification, biodiversity loss, land and forest degradation, glacial retreat, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and salinization.

Risks to the ecosystem health of the marine environment, including ocean warming, ocean acidification, and ocean deoxygenation, harming biodiversity, species health, ecosystem services, and coastal community livelihoods.

Climate change can have a range of impacts on technological system. Extreme weather events can cause infrastructure failures like power outages or damage to roads and bridges, as well as the impacts from waste following natural disasters. Human activities also cause technological impacts, such as the risks posed by oil spillage and leaks.

A target to reduce the prevalence of a greenhouse gas over a specific time frame

Activities that involve the cultivation of crops and raising of livestock for food, fibre, and other products essential for human life and industry.

Coal is a combustible sedimentary rock formed from carbonised plant matter, rich in carbon and hydrocarbons, and occurring in several main types including hard coal and brown coal.

Electrical energy generated from mechanical devices driven by flowing fresh water.

Activities that involve planning, designing and building infrastructure, residential, and commercial structures.

Conditions that enhance the feasibility of adaptation options. Enabling conditions include finance, technological innovation, strengthening policy instruments, institutional capacity, multi-level governance and changes in human behaviour and lifestyles.

Climate change impacts our society by disrupting the natural, economic and social systems we depend on. Physical hazards and underlying vulnerabilities can lead to increased resource competition for food and water, which can heighten the risk of conflict.

Codes and standards are regulatory instruments that specify minimum standards to protect health and safety. This ranges from performance standards, which prescribe outcomes while allowing flexibility to achieve compliance, to the more prescriptive approach of technology-specific standards.

A potent, short-lived greehouse gas, largely released from livestock, fossil fuel extraction and waste management.

Extreme weather refers to events where a weather variable exceeds (or falls below) a threshold. Meaning it is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.

The cryosphere is the frozen part of the Earth—it includes sea ice, glaciers, snow, and ice sheets. It helps regulate the climate and weather by reflecting sunlight. Rising temperatures are causing melting, leading to sea ice loss, glacier collapse, and glacier landslides and avalanches. This threatens the livelihoods of around 700 million people who rely on the cryosphere for food, water security, and cultural practices.

This sector involves activities to move goods and people, alongside the storage of products.

This sector involves activities that impart knowledge and skills to individuals, including formal schooling, vocational training and educational support.

Fossil gas, commonly known as natural gas, is a fossil fuel consisting chiefly of methane with smaller amounts of other hydrocarbons and trace gases, found in underground deposits.