CLIMATE PROTECTION AND THE CONSTITUTION - THE HISTORIC DECISION OF THE GERMAN FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF 24 MARCH 2021

This paper assesses the impact of the decision of the German Federal Constitutional Court of 24 March 2021 on German and European legal regulation in the field of climate protection. The main thesis argues there is a need to change both legal regimes towards a decisive reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. The climate provision has given new impetus to the challenge of ecological transformation, which the German legislator has thus far been unable to meet. Although the Court found the existing regulation of German law to be compatible with the Constitution, nevertheless, as global warming intensifies, the requirements to strengthen environmental protection may increase, and the Court is likely to subject existing legal regulations to more rigorous review. There is currently much speculation in the scholarly literature concerning the significance of the Federal Constitutional Court's ruling. Ultimately, however, the question of whether this ruling will remain a special case or will initiate a line of jurisprudence towards greater intergenerational justice will only be answered by future judicial decisions.