https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed A German top court on Monday rejected a landmark climate case brought by environmentalists that had aimed to force auto giants BMW and Mercedes-Benz to stop selling combustion-engine cars from 2030. https://www.thelocal.de/20260323/german-court-rejects-landmark-climate-case-against-car-giants Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:20:24 +0100 german-court-rejects-landmark-climate-case-against-car-giants The number of EV charging points is growing in Germany, but availability varies considerably. Where can electric car drivers charge most easily – and where there is still room for improvement? https://www.thelocal.de/20251104/how-easy-is-it-to-charge-your-electric-car-in-germany Tue, 04 Nov 2025 12:21:43 +0100 how-easy-is-it-to-charge-your-electric-car-in-germany German activists glued themselves to a runway at Munich airport Saturday and caused dozens of flights to be cancelled, in their latest action aimed at pushing authorities to tackle climate change. https://www.thelocal.de/20240518/climate-activists-cause-disruption-at-german-airport Sat, 18 May 2024 16:14:35 +0200 climate-activists-cause-disruption-at-german-airport The financial incentives for domestic industries, approved by Washington under the banner of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August, have put a question mark over a huge green energy project in the north west of Germany. https://www.thelocal.de/20230204/us-climate-subsidies-unsettle-germanys-green-industry-plans Sat, 04 Feb 2023 15:35:24 +0100 us-climate-subsidies-unsettle-germanys-green-industry-plans German environmentalists on Tuesday sued the government for failing to follow its own laws to protect the climate and reduce emissions. https://www.thelocal.de/20230124/climate-group-sues-german-government-for-missing-targets Tue, 24 Jan 2023 17:16:56 +0100 climate-group-sues-german-government-for-missing-targets Seven residents in Germany are taking the government to court over the poor air quality around their homes, an organisation representing them said on Monday. https://www.thelocal.de/20220926/german-city-residents-sue-government-over-air-pollution Mon, 26 Sep 2022 19:03:46 +0200 german-city-residents-sue-government-over-air-pollution Weather catastrophes triggered by climate change have cost Germany at least €80 billion since 2018, a "horrifying" official study said on Monday, as disasters grow more frequent and intense. https://www.thelocal.de/20220718/climate-disasters-cost-germany-e80-billion-since-2018 Mon, 18 Jul 2022 16:58:47 +0200 climate-disasters-cost-germany-e80-billion-since-2018 Soaring summer temperatures led to thousands of heat-related deaths in Germany from 2018 to 2020, a study has revealed. https://www.thelocal.de/20220701/how-heatwaves-in-germany-have-led-to-thousands-of-deaths Fri, 01 Jul 2022 13:09:46 +0200 how-heatwaves-in-germany-have-led-to-thousands-of-deaths The German government approved a draft law on Wednesday aimed at covering two percent of the country's land area with wind turbines by 2032, by setting fixed regional targets and easing some administrative burdens. https://www.thelocal.de/20220616/german-government-moves-to-ramp-up-wind-power Thu, 16 Jun 2022 11:44:38 +0200 german-government-moves-to-ramp-up-wind-power Germany's economy minister has urged environmental activists to avoid filing lawsuits against plans for new LNG terminals, warning that their zealousness to save porpoises could inadvertently strengthen the hand of Vladimir Putin. https://www.thelocal.de/20220505/german-minister-urges-environment-groups-to-accept-lng-terminals Thu, 05 May 2022 13:31:58 +0200 german-minister-urges-environment-groups-to-accept-lng-terminals Germany's new government is planning to earmark 60 billion euros to fund 'future investment' including its plans to tackle climate change, Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Friday. https://www.thelocal.de/20211210/german-government-sets-out-plans-for-e60-billion-future-fund Fri, 10 Dec 2021 17:54:04 +0100 german-government-sets-out-plans-for-e60-billion-future-fund More than 10,000 climate activists are expected to take part in a march in Berlin this Friday to call on Germany's next government to implement an ambitious 100-day climate plan in the first few months of their administration. https://www.thelocal.de/20211022/germanys-climate-activists-step-up-pressure-on-next-government Fri, 22 Oct 2021 13:38:31 +0200 germanys-climate-activists-step-up-pressure-on-next-government The number of heat waves and thunderstorms in Germany is increasing with each passing year. We look at the relationship between Germany's changing weather and the threat of climate change. https://www.thelocal.de/20210702/analysis-whats-going-on-with-germanys-weather-right-now Fri, 02 Jul 2021 16:07:25 +0200 analysis-whats-going-on-with-germanys-weather-right-now The German government on Wednesday approved a new law setting more ambitious targets to reduce CO2 emissions, after the country's top court declared a flagship climate law "insufficient". https://www.thelocal.de/20210512/no-longer-pushing-the-burden-into-future-german-govt-approves-more-ambitious-climate-targets Wed, 12 May 2021 17:16:48 +0200 no-longer-pushing-the-burden-into-future-german-govt-approves-more-ambitious-climate-targets German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday urged industrialised nations not to let the enormous financial toll of the coronavirus pandemic deter them from investing in the fight against climate change. https://www.thelocal.de/20210506/merkel-urges-richest-nations-to-up-climate-game-despite-covid Thu, 06 May 2021 19:09:39 +0200 merkel-urges-richest-nations-to-up-climate-game-despite-covid Germany's glaciers are melting at a faster pace than feared and the country could lose its last ice caps in 10 years, an alarming report said Thursday. https://www.thelocal.de/20210429/germany-could-lose-last-glaciers-in-10-years Thu, 29 Apr 2021 18:05:49 +0200 germany-could-lose-last-glaciers-in-10-years Germany's highest court ruled Thursday that the government's flagship climate protection plan was "insufficient", a major setback for Angela Merkel's right-left coalition in an election year when environmental issues are expected to take centre stage. https://www.thelocal.de/20210429/exclamation-mark-for-climate-protection-how-germany-is-reacting-to-top-courts-landmark-ruling Thu, 29 Apr 2021 15:19:03 +0200 exclamation-mark-for-climate-protection-how-germany-is-reacting-to-top-courts-landmark-ruling The winners of a Hamburg scholarship awarded to people who plan to “do nothing” as a demonstration against the pressures of modern society have been announced, after applications came in from across the globe. https://www.thelocal.de/20210318/three-women-win-hamburg-scholarship-awarded-to-those-who-plan-to-do-nothing Thu, 18 Mar 2021 13:18:29 +0100 three-women-win-hamburg-scholarship-awarded-to-those-who-plan-to-do-nothing Thousands of demonstrators marched throughout Germany in the first series of climate protests since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are some highlights from Friday https://www.thelocal.de/20200925/in-photos-fridays-for-future-returns-around-germany Fri, 25 Sep 2020 17:37:02 +0200 in-photos-fridays-for-future-returns-around-germany Germany on Monday announced details of its first "green" bond placing, tapping financial markets to fund environmental projects for the first time. https://www.thelocal.de/20200824/environment-germany-launches-first-green-bonds Mon, 24 Aug 2020 19:03:07 +0200 environment-germany-launches-first-green-bonds