The climate protection dispute between an organic farmer and the car company Volkswagen continues. The Detmold district court announced on Friday that there would be a hearing on February 3, 2023. The presiding judge Manfred Pohlmeier criticized an application by the plaintiff and called for clarifications. In terms of content, he did not go into the allegations against the car company.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Roda Verheyen, considered it a success that the lawsuit had not been dismissed and that the matter would be heard in February. It is also good that the judge did not mention another complaint and that this is therefore admissible.
With the lawsuit, the farmer wants to ensure that VW will stop selling cars and light commercial vehicles as early as 2030. So far, this is planned for 2035. In addition, the plaintiff demands that sales should be drastically reduced in the coming years.
The 62-year-old organic farmer Ulf Allhoff-Cramer from Detmold accuses the second largest car company in the world of being responsible for one percent of global CO2 emissions with its cars and light commercial vehicles. As a result, VW is endangering the future of agriculture in general and also its commercial existence, the plaintiff argues.
VW rejects the allegations and emphasizes progress in electromobility. The group also argues that the vast majority of CO2 emissions from cars lie within the driver’s sphere of influence and not the manufacturer. In addition, the concrete consequences of climate change cannot be predicted for a small area, according to a written reply from VW.
After Friday’s court hearing, Volkswagen continues to expect the lawsuit to be dismissed. In a statement, VW rated the judge’s statements as “serious doubts” about the allegations.
