Protection of the future generations in the context of the climate neutrality goals in the jurisprudence of the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany

In this paper the impact of the current legal provisions in Germany, dedicated to achieving the goal of climate neutrality till 2050, on the human rights and freedoms of next generations will be investigated. An assumption for this reaserch task is a judgement of the Federal Constitutional Tribunal from 24 March 2021, related to the obligaton for the public authorities to provide the inter-generational justice in the framework of environmental policy. The aim of this paper is also to examine if the climate neutrality can receive a status of new, constitutional value in the German legal order.

On March 24, 2021, the First Senate of The German Federal Constitutional Court issued that part of the Federal Climate Change Act of December 12, 2019 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 2513) must be deemed contrary to Basic Law. The fundamental reason underlying his conclusion was the failure of the federal legislator and the Federal Government to take suitable and prospectively sufficient measures to decrease greenhouse gasses (predominantly CO2) emissions. The Tribunal interpreted Art. 20a of the Basic Law, in conformity with the principle of intergenerational equity. By anchoring his reasoning in that concept, the Tribunal turned into an unclear and controversial path. It may serve to enhance radical political changes. However, on the other hand, it may also undermine the green change.