BERLIN, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court ruled on Tuesday that the German government must enhance its National Clean Air Program (NLRP) to comply with European Union (EU) regulations.
The court found that the current measures are insufficient to meet the EU's air pollutant reduction goals, largely supporting a complaint by the environmental NGOs Environmental Action Germany (DUH) and Client Earth.
The court highlighted that outdated data led the government to inaccurately project pollutant emissions, particularly miscalculating those from transport, buildings, and the energy sector. The energy sector aims to phase out coal-fired power generation by 2030.
"The court has today put a stop to the federal government's delaying tactics and obliged it to improve its inadequate National Clean Air Program with effective and nationwide measures," said DUH Director Juergen Resch in a statement.
DUH is advocating for a technical upgrade of eight million diesel vehicles, which emit up to 40 times more harmful nitrogen dioxide than initially advertised. Alternatively, they suggest these vehicles could be decommissioned at the expense of companies convicted of emissions fraud.
Following the 2015 "Dieselgate" scandal, where Volkswagen manipulated emissions data, numerous competitors were ordered to compensate customers. Despite recalling millions of vehicles, illegal devices are still being found.
DUH also recommends mandatory filters for wood-fired heating systems and construction machinery, and a significant reduction in intensive livestock farming. According to the organization, nearly 100,000 people in Germany die each year from nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 emissions exposure.
Germany aims to become climate-neutral by 2045 and plans to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to achieve this goal. The government believes it is on track for its 2030 targets, predicting a 64 percent reduction compared to 1990, just one percentage point shy of the target.
However, the government frequently faces legal challenges for inadequate emission control measures. Tuesday's ruling marks the second successful lawsuit by DUH against Germany's climate protection policy this year.
