Klimaschutzklagen - Herausforderung für die deutsche Judikative

Christian Bickenbach

The Paris Agreement enshrines the triad of mitigation, adaptation and resilience. In this connection, climate
protection lawsuits are increasingly being filed. The question for the courts is whether or not they are functionally overburdened in view of the dimension of climate change and transformation. They will have to find a path between non-functional activism and misplaced restraint. Adapted from the usual introductory question for civil law cases, «Who wants what out of what from whom?», an overview of the subjects of dispute will be provided. Subsequently, the challenges of the courts of lower instance and the Federal Constitutional Court with regard to the separation of powers and the principle of democracy are presented. Particular attention is paid to the climate decision of the Federal Constitutional Court of March 24th, 2021.