Andreas Korbmacher, President of the Federal Administrative Court, reminded the Federal Government of its legal obligations concerning climate protection. According to Korbmacher, the climate protection program must contain all necessary measures to meet the legally set goals for greenhouse gas mitigation. Speaking to the FAZ regarding the Climate Protection Council’s review report, Korbmacher stated that the commitment made in January has not changed. He cautioned that the government should not attempt to make concessions to its obligations in the 2026 climate protection program, noting that the expert council can only provide a projection, and predictions are inherently subject to uncertainty.
Addressing the so-called “turkey verdict” from the Federal Administrative Court, Korbmacher clarified that the ruling is “not a judgment against mass animal farming”. However, he pointed out that by allowing lawsuits filed by animal welfare associations, the states effectively created politically motivated avenues to strengthen animal welfare protections. This followed the court’s recent decision that the current industry standards for intensive turkey farming are not compliant with animal welfare standards.
Finally, regarding European proposals for nature restoration, the Court President noted that the EU has “passed very extensive nature conservation legislation, which actually leads to us being able to build less infrastructure”. He stressed that the obligations related to nature conservation are “tied to an enormous effort for the federal government, the states, and the municipalities”.