The German Environmental Action (Deutsche Umwelthilfe, DUH) filed a climate action before the Higher Administrative Court of Bremen (Oberverwaltungsgericht der Freien Hansestadt Bremen) against the Bremen Senate, seeking to compel the state government to comply with its statutory climate-planning obligations.

Under the Bremen Climate Protection and Energy Act (Bremisches Klimaschutz- und Energiegesetz), Bremen must reduce its CO₂ emissions by at least 60% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. Emissions had fallen by only 34.8% by 2024, while a study commissioned by the Bremen government projects a reduction of only 40–45% by 2030, even if all currently planned measures are implemented.

The action challenges the Senate's alleged failure to comply with the Act's mandatory corrective-action procedure. Following publication of the preliminary emissions balance in March 2026, the Senate was required to report to the Bremen Parliament by May 31, 2026 on whether the 2030 target was likely to be achieved. It was then required, by July 31, 2026, to submit a draft of additional climate measures if the target was at risk. According to DUH, neither step was taken.

DUH seeks an effective climate action plan setting out concrete, effective, and quantified additional measures capable of enabling Bremen to meet its statutory 2030 target.

DUH v. Bremen Senate

<p>This entry was provided by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. Please see the terms of use for citation and licensing of third party data.</p>

DUH v. Bremen Senate - complaint

Filed

Germany

The Climate Litigation Database

Find climate change litigation data and indicators for {text}.

{text} litigation

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law provides Climate Litigation Database, a comprehensive database of US and Global climate change caselaw

Quickly and easily search through the complete text of thousands of climate change law and policy documents from every country.

Search the Climate Litigation Database

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.

Justice is the ethical and political framework that addresses fairness, including issues of responsibility, rights, and structural inequity.

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