German Court Rejects Environmentalists' Plea to Ban Combustion Cars

Germany's highest appeals court dismissed environmentalists' efforts to ban Mercedes-Benz and BMW from selling combustion-engine vehicles by November 2030. The federal court supports lower court decisions, stating there's no assigned carbon budget for individual firms, undermining the environmental lobby's case.

Germany's top appeals court dealt a significant blow to environmentalists on Monday by rejecting their legal attempt to halt Mercedes-Benz and BMW sales of new combustion-engine vehicles from November 2030. The ruling from the federal court in Karlsruhe confirmed previous lower court decisions.

The environmental group, DUH, had initiated the lawsuits, arguing their case on the basis of a calculated carbon budget allocated for each automaking company. However, the court found no such carbon budgets were independently assigned to the companies, weakening the foundation of the DUH's argument.

This outcome represents a setback for climate advocates seeking to enforce stricter emissions targets, particularly concerning the automotive sector, in hopes of accelerating the transition towards sustainable transportation methods.

(With inputs from agencies.)