Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 23, 2026
1 min readLast updated: March 23, 2026
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Germany’s highest civil court in Karlsruhe on March 23, 2026, dismissed DUH’s lawsuits seeking to ban Mercedes and BMW from selling new combustion-engine cars after November 2030, rejecting the premise that individual automakers have a specific “carbon budget.”
KARLSRUHE, Germany, March 23 (Reuters) - Environmentalists suffered a setback on Monday when Germany's top appeals court threw out their cases seeking to ban Mercedes-Benz and BMW from selling new combustion-engine cars from November 2030.
Both companies emphasized ongoing efforts to support environmental goals despite the court's decision.
(Reporting by Ursula Knapp and Rachel More, editing by Thomas Seythal)
The court found that no specific carbon budget had been allocated to individual companies, dismissing the DUH's argument.
Three managing directors from the DUH environmental lobby brought the lawsuits.
The DUH based its case on a calculated 'carbon budget' for both automakers, claiming this justified a ban.
Both welcomed the ruling and reiterated their commitment to sustainability, emphasizing the legal certainty it grants.
The ruling provides legal certainty for companies like Mercedes-Benz and BMW, allowing ongoing sales of combustion-engine vehicles.
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