Environmental Group DUH Sues Berlin Over Unupdated Climate Protection Program

Lawsuit Filed Against Berlin State for Climate Inaction

The environmental organization Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), known in English as Environmental Action Germany, filed a lawsuit against the state of Berlin on December 9, 2025, before the Higher Administrative Court Berlin-Brandenburg. The core of the legal challenge centers on Berlin's alleged failure to update its crucial Energy and Climate Protection Program (BEK) and its insufficient efforts to meet established climate targets.

According to DUH, the Berlin Senate has violated its legal obligation to revise the BEK in a timely manner. The program, which serves as the central instrument for Berlin's climate goals, should have been updated by 2024, yet no draft has been presented to the public.

Allegations of Insufficient Progress and Budget Cuts

DUH's lawsuit highlights a significant gap between Berlin's climate ambitions and its current actions. The organization points to alarming data from the Berlin Climate Council, indicating that between 2020 and 2023, the city's CO2 emissions decreased by only approximately 200,000 tons per year. To achieve the legally mandated target of a 70 percent reduction by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, the pace of climate protection would need to more than triple.

Jürgen Resch, Federal Managing Director of DUH, criticized the 'Mir-doch-egal' (I don't care) attitude of Berlin's black-red governing coalition, stating that the Senate is drastically cutting funds for climate protection instead of updating the program as required by law.

Berlin's Ambitious Climate Targets Under Scrutiny

Berlin has set ambitious climate targets, aiming for climate neutrality by 2045 at the latest. The city's Climate Protection and Energy Turnaround Act (EWG Bln), amended in August 2021, makes these targets obligatory. They include reducing CO2 emissions by at least 70 percent by 2030, 90 percent by 2040, and 95 percent by 2045, all compared to 1990 levels.

The Berlin Energy and Climate Protection Program (BEK), adopted in 2018, was designed to be updated every five years, with a revision due in 2022 to align with these more ambitious goals. DUH argues that the failure to update this program jeopardizes the achievement of these binding targets.

DUH Demands Concrete Measures

To address the perceived shortcomings, DUH is demanding that the Berlin Senate promptly present a legally compliant and ambitious climate protection program. The organization has outlined several concrete measures it believes are necessary:

• Implementation of the goal of 100 kilometers of rapid cycling connections.
• Establishment of a comprehensive network of bus lanes across the city.
• A significant renovation offensive for public buildings, with a particular focus on schools.

This lawsuit is part of a broader trend of climate litigation by DUH, which has a history of successful legal challenges against the German federal government and other states for insufficient climate protection measures in various sectors. For instance, in November 2023, the Higher Administrative Court Berlin-Brandenburg ruled that the federal government must adopt an immediate action program for the building and transport sectors, underscoring the enforceability of climate protection obligations.