Authors: Markus Appel, Ulrich Wolff, Sebastian Meyn

Decision of the German Federal Constitutional Court on climate protection

At the end of April 2021, the German Federal Constitutional Court issued an important decision calling for increased efforts by the legislature to protect the climate. The decision contains fundamental statements on the general importance of climate protection and the legal possibilities and obligations to restrict private liberties and economic activities for reasons of climate protection. The consequential changes to German climate law as a result of this decision will have significant impacts on businesses and investors in Germany.