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BERLIN — (AP) — A court docket in Germany solid doubt Friday on claims by a German farmer that automaker Volkswagen is partly accountable for the impression that world warming is having on his household enterprise.
The plaintiff, Ulf Allhoff-Cramer, claims drier soil and heavier rains on account of local weather change are harming his fields, cattle and business forests.
“Farmers are already being hit tougher and sooner by local weather change than anticipated,” he advised reporters this week, alleging that VW because the world’s second-biggest automaker has contributed to the injury.
However in the course of the first listening to, a regional court docket within the western city of Detmold requested the plaintiff and his attorneys to offer additional particulars to again up their authorized arguments, the German information company dpa reported.
The presiding choose additionally requested for readability on whether or not the plaintiff has already suffered climate-related damages or is merely anticipating them. It set the following court docket listening to for Sept. 9.
The case is supported by the environmental group Greenpeace, which has backed comparable authorized efforts in Germany geared toward holding firms and the federal government accountable for local weather change.
Such instances have met with blended success. Some have been dismissed, whereas one made it to Germany’s prime court docket, which final 12 months ordered the federal government to step up its efforts to cut back greenhouse gasoline emissions.
In his grievance, Allhoff-Cramer is asking for VW to finish its manufacturing of combustion engine autos by 2030. German automakers rejected an identical demand from environmental teams final 12 months.
Volkswagen mentioned in a press release that it goals to cut back its emissions “as rapidly because the enterprise permits” however has set itself a 2050 deadline to chop carbon dioxide emissions to net-zero.
“Volkswagen stands for local weather safety and fast decarbonization of the transport sector, however can’t meet this problem alone,” the corporate mentioned, including that the transformation additionally relies on authorities regulation, technological growth and purchaser conduct.
The corporate mentioned lawmakers ought to determine on local weather change measures.
“Disputes in civil courts by lawsuits towards particular person firms singled out for this goal, alternatively, will not be the place or the means to do justice to this accountable job,” VW mentioned. “We are going to defend this place and ask for the lawsuit to be dismissed.”
In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Safety Company caught Volkswagen utilizing software program that allow diesel vehicles cross emissions checks after which turned off air pollution controls throughout regular driving. The corporate apologized and paid tens of billions of {dollars} in fines, recall prices and compensation to automotive homeowners.
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Observe AP’s local weather protection at http://apnews.com/hub/local weather
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